Experiment D: Determination of Mixing Index of Solids

In all chemical processes, solids mixing is a very common process particularly in the
pharmaceutical industry. For Experiment D, we are likely to observe the mixing index over
time between two solid granules. A V-cone mixer is used, where the beans to be cycled for
division and assembly. 100g of soy beans and 100g of green beans were put separately in the
two sides of the V-cone mixer and mixed together at different speeds: 10%, 30% and 50%. The
composition of the beans is observed every 15 secondss until 1 minute and 15 secondss.

1.2
Mixing Index vs Mixing Time 50%
30%
1
10%

0.8
Mixing Index

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 10 20 30 40 Time
Mixing 50 60 70 80

For the 10% of the mixing speed, the mixing index, Is decreases with increasing mixing
time, from 15 seconds to 45 seconds, and increases from 45 seconds to 75 seconds. At the
mixing time of 75 seconds, the Is reaches 1, indicating that the mixing is efficient for a longer
time at the mixing speed of 10%.
For the 30% of the mixing speed, the Is increases with increasing mixing time, from 15 seconds
to 45 seconds. By increasing the mixing time from 45 seconds to 75 seconds, the Is decreases
but fluctuates at the mixing time of 60 seconds. At the mixing speed of 30%, there is no Is
achieving 1 along the increment of the mixing time. Therefore, in the 75 seconds mixing time,
30% is not the efficient speed for the perfect and efficient solids mixing.
For the 50% of the mixing speed, the Is increases with increasing mixing time from 15 seconds
to 75 seconds. Then, the Is decreases from 45 seconds to 75 seconds. At the mixing time of 45
seconds, the Is is achieving 1, which indicates that a perfect mixing can occur at 50% mixing
speed.
As five scoops of beans randomly taken for the weight observation, standard deviation plays
an important role. The mixing index, Is varies from 0 to 1 for different mixing speed and mixing
time. If the Is is nearly 0, this indicates that the beans are segregated and if the Is is near to 1,
indicating that the beans are completely randomized and mixed. (Berk, 2013) Moreover, as
different particles size is used: green beans and soy beans, it is hard to achieve to equilibrium
state of mixing. Instead, this parameter will lead to segregation intensification. (Abbas Hamid
Sulaymon, 2010)
This can be concluded that, at the 10% mixing speed, perfect mixing can occur at the mixing
time of 75 seconds. At the 30% mixing speed, perfect may occur at mixing time of 45 seconds.
This also applied to the 50% mixing speed, where the Is achieves 1 at 45 seconds. For both
30% and 50% mixing speed, the mixing time cannot be longer than 45 second. As the mixing
index will decline aggressively.

References
Abbas Hamid Sulaymon, A. S. (2010). Prediction of Equilibrium Mixing Index and Optimum Mixing
Time for Three Solid Materials in Fluidized Column. Al-Khwarizmi Engineering Journal, Vol 6,
No 4, 21 - 30.

Berk, Z. (2013). Chapter 7: Mixing. In Food Process Engineering and Technology (Second Edition) (pp.
193 - 216).

References
Berk, Z. (2013). Chapter 7: Mixing. In Food Process Engineering and Technology (Second Edition) (pp.
193 - 216).

APPENDIX

Figure 1: Results at 10% mixing speed.

 Figure 2: Results at 30% mixing speed.

Figure 3: Results at 50% mixing speed.

Calculation:
Sample calculation at mixing speed: 10% and mixing time: 15s
Mass fraction of soy beans, 𝒙𝑨 :
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠
𝑥𝐴 =
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 + 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠
8.0209
𝑥𝐴 = = 0.7913
8.0209 + 2.1156

̅:
Mean, 𝒙
0.7913 + 0.5420 + 0.6362 + 0.5359 + 0.3912
𝑥̅ = = 0.5793
5
Standard deviation, s:

∑𝑁 (𝑥𝐴 − 𝑥̅ )2
𝑠 = √ 𝑖=1
𝑁−1

(0.7913−0.5793)2 +(0.5420−5793)2 +(0.6362−0.5793)2 +(0.5359−0.5793)2 +(0.3912−0.5793)2

𝑠=√ 5−1

𝑠 = 0.0868

𝜇𝑃 = 𝑥̅ = 0.5793

𝜇𝑃 (1 − 𝜇𝑃 )
𝜎𝑒 = √
𝑛

0.5793(1 − 0.5793)
𝜎𝑒 = √ = 0.0680
52.709

Granular solids mixing index, Is:

𝜎𝑒
𝐼𝑠 =
𝑠
0.0680
𝐼𝑠 = = 0.7830
0.0868