MIXING AND SEGREGATION

CO/PO
INTRODUCTION

• Mixing of particulate solids is an important process which play a critical role in the
performance of other particle processing operations i.e grinding, granulation, classification
and chemical treatment
• In single phase system such as gases of miscible liquids, mixing proceeds spontaneously
and irreversibly so that actions such as stirring are needed only to speed up the process
• In contrast, solid mixing in neither spontaneous nor irreversible – some kind of
mechanical agitation is required for mixing to occur and tendency for different kind of
particles to segregate is commonly observed
TYPES OF MIXTURE
TYPES OF MIXTURE

Perfect Random
A group of particles which The probability of finding a Segregation
will contain the same particle of any component is Particles of one component
proportions of each particle the same at all locations and have a greater probability of
as the whole proportion equal to the proportion of being found in one part of
mixture if taken from any that component in the the mixture
position whole mixture
SEGREGATION

• In many systems, particles to be mixed have different properties and tend to exhibit
segregation
• Particles with the same physical property collect together in one part of the mixture and
random mixture is not a natural state
• Even if particles are originally mixed by some means, they will tend to unmix on handling
(moving, pouring, conveying, processing)
• Differences in size, density and shape of constituent particles of a mixture may give rise to
segregation
• Difference in particle size is most important, density difference is comparatively unimportant
except in gas fluidization
• Demixing or segregation can give rise to variations in bulk density of powder going to
packaging
• Chemical composition of the product may be off specification (e.g. in blending of constituents
for detergents or drugs)
TYPES OF SEGREGATION: TRAJECTORY
SEGREGATION
• if a small particle of diameter x and density
rp, whose drag is governed by Stokes’ law is
projected horizontally with a velocity U into
a fluid of viscosity m and density rf, the
limiting distance that it can travel horizontally
is Urpx2/36m
• A particle of diameter 2x would travel four
times as far before coming to rest
• This mechanism can cause segregation where
particles are caused to move through air or
when powders fall from the end of a
conveyor belt
TYPES OF SEGREGATION:
SEGREGATION BY PERCOLATION

• if a mass of particles is disturbed in such a way that

individual particles move, a rearrangement in the
packing of the particles occurs
• The gaps created allow particles from above to fall and
particles in some other place to move upwards
• For particles of different size, it will be easier for small
particles to fall down and so there will be a tendency
for small particles to move downwards leading to
segregation
• Very small difference in particle size can give rise to
significant segregation
• Can occur whenever the mixture is disturbed causing
rearrangement of particles
• This can happen during stirring, shaking, vibration or
when pouring particles into a heap
TYPES OF SEGREGATION: RISE OF
PARTICLES ON VIBRATION

• Also called as brazil nut effect

• if a mixture of particles of different size is vibrated the
larger particles move upwards
• Figure 11.4 page 298
TYPES OF SEGREGATION: ELUTRIATION
SEGREGATION
• when a powder containing an appreciable
proportion of particles under 50 mm is
charged into a storage vessel or hopper, air is
displaced upwards
• The upward velocity of air may exceed the
terminal freefall velocity of some of the finer
particles, which may then remain in
suspension after the larger particles have
settled
• Thus a pocket of fine particles is generated in
the hopper each time solids are charged
ASSESSING A MIXTURE: SAMPLING

• To determine the quality of a mixture, it is generally necessary to take samples

• Sampling of mixtures and analysis of mixture quality require application of statistical
methods
Statistics relevant to random binary mixtures are as follows:
• Mean composition: For N samples of composition y1 to yN in one component, the
estimate of the mixture composition is given by
STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

• Standard deviation and variance: the true standard deviation, s, and the true variance, s2,
of the composition of the mixture are quantitative measures of the quality of the mixture
• The true variance is usually not known but an estimate S2 is defined as
STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

• Standard deviation and variance: the true standard deviation, s, and the true variance, s2,
of the composition of the mixture are quantitative measures of the quality of the mixture
• The true variance is usually not known but an estimate S2 is defined as

• The standard deviation is equal to the square root of variance

STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

Theoretical limits of variance:

For a two-component system the theoretical upper and lower limits of mixture variance
are:

Where p and (1-p) are the proportions of the two components determined from samples and n is the
number of particles in each sample
STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

Variance
STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

Variance
STATISTICS RELEVANT TO MIXING

Standard statistical table: chi-squared distribution table and student’s t-values

STUDENT’S T-VALUES
CLASS EXAMPLE

Do class example 22 May 2017 uploaded in ilearn

MECHANISM OF MIXING

SHEAR MIXING
Shear stress gives rise to slip zone and mixing take
place by interchange of particles between layers within
the zone
SHEAR MIXING
MECHANISM OF MIXING

DIFFUSIVE MIXING
• Random motion of particles within a powder bed
causes them to change position between one another
• Also occurs when particles roll down a sloping
surface
DIFFUSIVE MIXING
MECHANISM OF MIXING

CONVECTIVE MIXING
By deliberate bulk movement of packet of powders
around the powder mass
MECHANISM OF MIXING
 TYPES OF MIXER

Tumbling mixer:

• A closed vessel rotating at its axis

• Dominant mechanism is diffusive mixing
• Installing baffles inside may reduce segregation
TYPES OF MIXER

Convective mixer:

• Consists of rotating blades or paddles in a static shell

• Dominant mechanism is convective mixing
• Common equipment is ribbon blender
TYPES OF MIXER

High shear mixer:

• Consists of high velocity rotating blades, low

velocity- high compression rollers
• Dominant mechanism is shear mixing
• In high shear mixer it focuses on breaking down
agglomerates of cohesive powders rather than
breaking down individual particles