Ch.

E-203 PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY

Department of Chemical Engineering,

University of Engineering & Technology Lahore
 Conveyors

 Conveying is a term used to transport, transfer or transmit.

 Conveyor is a device that transports or transmits something

 Conveyors are machines that transport material fed to them at controlled rate to desired

location.

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 Types of Conveyors

 Screw Conveyor

 Belt Conveyor

 Bucket Elevators

 Vibrating or Oscillating Conveyor

 Pneumatic Conveyors

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 Screw Conveyors

 The screw conveyor is one of the oldest and most versatile conveyor types.

 It consists of a helicoid flight (helix rolled from flat steel bar) mounted on a pipe or

shaft and turning in a trough.

 Power to convey must be transmitted through the pipe or shaft.

 Screw-conveyor capacities are generally limited to around 10,000 ft 3/h.

 Screw conveyors can also be adapted to a wide variety of processing operations in

addition to their conveying ability

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 Contd..

 Screw conveyor can be used for mixing, heating, cooling, and drying operations.

 A further advantage is the fact that the casing can be designed with a drop bottom for

easy cleaning to avoid contamination when different materials are to be run through
the same system.

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 Belt Conveyors

 The belt conveyor is almost universal in application. It can travel for miles at speeds

up to 1000 ft/min and handle up to 5000 tons/h.

 It can also operate over short distances at speeds slow enough for manual picking,

with a capacity of only a few kilograms per hour.

 Belt-conveyor slopes are limited to a maximum of about 30°, with those in the 18 to

20° range more common.

 Direction changes can occur in the belt path and must be carefully designed as flat

bends.

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 Contd..
 Belt conveyors inside the plant may have higher initial cost than some other types.

 Temperature and chemical activity of the conveyed material play important roles in

belt selection.
 Moisture can cause poor discharge conditions because of material sticking to the

belt.

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 Bucket Elevator

 Bucket elevators are the simplest and most common units for making vertical lifts.

 They are available in a wide range of capacities and may operate entirely in the open

or be totally enclosed.

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 Vibrating or Oscillating Conveyors

 Most vibrating conveyors consist of a spring-supported horizontal pan vibrated by a

any of the vibrating mechanism.

 The motion imparted to the material particles may vary, but its purpose is to throw the

material upward and forward so that it will travel along the conveyor path in a series
of short steps.

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 Vibrating / Oscillating Conveyor

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 Pneumatic Conveyors

 One of the most important material-handling techniques in the chemical industry

is the movement of material suspended in a stream of air over horizontal and
vertical distances ranging from a few to several hundred feet.
 Material is dropped into an air stream by a rotary air-lock feeder.
 The velocity of the stream maintains the bulk material in suspension until it
reaches the receiving vessel, where it is separated from the air by means of an air
filter or cyclone separator.

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 Conveyor Selection

Selection of the correct conveyor for a specific bulk material in a specific situation is
complicated by the large number of interrelated factors:

 Capacity requirement

 Length of travel

 Lift

 Material characteristics

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 Capacity Requirement

 Capacity requirement is a prime factor in conveyor selection.

 Belt conveyors, which can be manufactured in relatively large sizes to operate at

high speeds, deliver large tonnages economically.

 On the other hand, screw conveyors become extremely bulky as they get larger

and cannot be operated at high speeds without creating serious abrasion

problems.

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 Length of travel

 Length of travel is definitely limited for certain types of conveyors.

 The length limit on belt conveyors can be a matter of miles.

 Pneumatic conveyors are limited to 305 m (1000 ft); vibrating conveyors, to

hundreds of meters or feet, Screw conveyors can travel upto 50 m.

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 Lift

 Lift can usually be handled most economically by vertical or inclined bucket elevators,

but when lift and horizontal travel are combined, other conveyors should be
considered.
 Conveyors that combine several directions of travel in a single unit are generally more

expensive.

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 Material Characteristics

 Material characteristics, both chemical and physical, should be considered,

especially flow ability.
 Abrasiveness and lump size are also important.

 Chemical effects (e.g., the effect of oil on rubber) must be considered

 Moisture or oxidation effects from exposure to the atmosphere may be harmful to

the material being conveyed and require total enclosure of the conveyor.

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 Conveyors for bulk materials

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 Conveyor Drivers

 Conveyor drives may account for from 10 to 30 percent of the total cost of the

conveyor system, depending on specific job requirements.

 They may be of either

 fixed-speed or

 adjustable-speed type.

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  Fixed-speed drives are used when the initially chosen conveyor speed does not
require change during the course of normal operation. In any event, the conveyor
must be shut down while the speed change is made.

 Adjustable-speed drives are designed for changing speed either manually or

automatically while the conveyor is in operation, to meet variations in processing
requirements.

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 Mixing

 Intermingling of two or more separate components to form more or less uniform

product.

 Some other terms are

 Agitation

 Blending

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 Agitation Mixing Blending

Agitation refers Blending is the

Mixing is the
to the induced mixing of two
random
motion of the components to form a
distribution, into
material in a homogenous mixture.
and through one
circulatory another, of two or
pattern in some Sometimes, blending
more initially
type of is the term used for
separate phases.
container. mixing of liquids.

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 Types of mixture

 Perfect mixture / Solution

 Segregated mixture / Suspension

 Random mixture / Colloidal Dispersion

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 Perfect mixture / Solution

 Solutions are mixtures made by mixing a solute and a solvent. The solute is the

substance that dissolves. The solvent is the substance that does the dissolving.
Solutions are homogeneous

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 Suspension / Segregated mixture

 Suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures of a solid and a liquid in which the solid

does not dissolve. Particles of one component have a greater probability of being
found in greater amount in one part of the mixture than the other.

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 Random mixture / Colloidal Dispersion

 Colloidal Dispersions are mixtures with characteristics part way between a

solution and a suspension. Colloidal dispersions may appear homogeneous but

are heterogeneous.

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 Mixing of solids

Liquids – currents are Solid – no such currents so

generated mixing is done by other

Liquid – well-mixed means

product (homogeneous) Solids – identifiable phases

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 Types of mixers

 Mixing is by slow speed agitation of the mass with an impeller

 By tumbling

 By Centrifuging smearing and impact

 For cohesive solids – powerful and heavier machines

 For free flowing solids – light in construction

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 Mixers for non cohesive solids

 Mixer for dry and free flowing solids are

 Light in construction

 Moderate power consumption

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 Mixers for cohesive solids

 Appropriate contact

 Mixing elements cannot generate flow currents

 High viscosity

 Mixing is by combination of low speed

 Shear
 Smearing
 Wiping
 Folding
 Stretching
 compressing

 Mixer have

 high power consumption

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 Cooling is required
 Mixers for Cohesive solids

 Different types of mixers are:

1. Change-Can mixer
2. Kneaders
3. Dispersers
4. Masticators
5. Continuous kneaders
6. Mixer extruders
7. Mixing rolls
8. Muller and pan mixers
9. Pug mills

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 1. Change-Can Mixers

 For viscous liquids and light pastes as:

 Food processing

 Paint manufacturing

 5 to 100 gal. in size

 Change-Can mixer are:

1. Pony mixer

2. Beater mixer

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 1. Pony mixers

 Agitator consist of vertical blades held on rotating head positioned near the wall of

the can
 Blades are slightly twisted

 Agitator is mounted eccentrically

 Can rest on a turn table driven in direction opposite to that of agitator

 All the material in the can is brought to the blade to be mixed

 When mixing is completed –blades are cleaned and can is replaced

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Change Can Mixer (Pony Mixer)
 2. Beater mixers

 Can or vessel is stationary

 Agitator has a planetary motion

 Visits all parts of vessel

 Beaters are shaped to pass with close

clearance over the side & bottom of

mixing vessel

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Change Can Mixer (Beater)
 Kneaders, Dispersers and Masticators

 Kneading – “squashing the mass flat, folding it over on itself and squashing it once

more”
 Also tear the mass apart and shear it between a moving blade & a stationary surface.

 For deformable & plastic solids

 Large energy requirements

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 Kneaders, Dispersers and Masticators

 Mixing is done by two heavy blades on horizontal shaft in a short trough with a

saddle shaped bottom

 Blades turn towards each other at top, drawing mass downward over the point of the

saddle, then shearing it between the blades and wall

 They turn at different speeds usually 1.5 : 1 or 2 : 1

 Mixing time – 5 to 20 min or longer then trough is tilted for discharging or can be

unloaded through an opening

 Cooling is provided commonly

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 Banbury mixer

 Heavy duty two-arm mixer

 30 to 40 rpm

 Solids enter from top and discharge from bottom

 Applications:
 Compound rubber and plastic solids
 Masticate crude rubber
 Devulcanize rubber scrap
 Make water dispersion and rubber solution

 Shorter time and small batches

 Cooling is done by:

 Water spraying on walls
 Circulating through hollow agitator shaft

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Banbury Mixer
Banbury Mixer
 Design of Blades

 Sigma blade:

 Used for general purpose kneading

 Edges are serrated to give a shredding action

 S-type Double-naben (fish-tail blade):

 Effective with heavy plastic materials

 develop high shear force

 Z-type Disperser blade:

 Heavier and develop high shearing forces

 Disperse powders or liquids into rubbery masses.

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 Kneader
(Sigma Blades)
 Kneader
(Sigma Blades)
Double Naben Blades Z-type Disperser blade
 Continuous Kneaders

 Continuous operation

 deals light to fairly heavy materials (heavy, stiff, or gummy materials)

 consist of
 Single horizontal shaft
 Slow in motion
 Rows of teeth on shaft arranged in spiral pattern
 Stationary teeth on the wall of casing
 Close clearance between dynamic and stationary teeth

 Shaft turns and also reciprocates in the axial direction

 Smearing action b/w teeth in axial or longitudinal direction as well as radial shear

 Several tons per hour

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 Mixer Extruders

 The discharge of continuous kneader is restricted by covering it with an extrusion die

 Pitched blades of the rotor build up considerable pressure in the material

 Material is cut and folded and subjected to additional shear

 Contain one or two horizontal shafts, rotating but not reciprocating , carrying blades set

in a helical pattern.
 Pressure is built by reducing the pitch of helix or by reducing the diameter of chamber

or both
 Continuously mix, compound, and work thermoplastics, clays, and other hard-to-mix

materials.
 Heating jacket is provided.

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Mixer Extruder
 Mixing Rolls

 Smooth metal rolls at variable speeds

 For pastes & deformable solids to intense shear

 3 to 5 horizontal rolls in vertical stack

 Material moves from slower to faster ones

 Batch roll mills has two rolls set in horizontal plane and require long mixing time and

attention
 Used for dispersing solids in rubber and plastic materials

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Mixing Rolls
 Muller mixers

 Different mixing action

 Mulling is smearing or rubbing action similar to that in mortar and pestle

 Wide, heavy wheels of the mixer did the same job

 Pan is stationary & central vertical shaft is driven – causing the muller wheels to roll in

circular path on solid

 Rubbing action results from slip of the wheel on solids
 Plows – guide solids under wheels or to discharge opening

 Axis of the wheels is stationary & pan is rotated

 Good mixer for batches of heavy solids and pastes

 Effective in coating the granular particles with liquid

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Muller Mixer
 Pug Mills

 Mixing is done by blades or knives set in helical pattern on a horizontal shaft.

 Open trough or closed cylinder

 Cut, mixed and moved forward

 closed mixing chamber - Single shaft

 Open trough – double shaft for more rapid & thorough mixing

 Mostly cylindrical in shape

 Heating or cooling jackets

 Blend and homogenize clays, mix liquids with solids to form thick heavy slurries

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Pugmills
 Mixers for free flowing solids

 Lighter machines are there for dry powders and thin pastes

 Ribbon blender

 Tumbling mixer

 Vertical screws

 Impact wheel / rotating disc

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 Ribbon Blenders

 Horizontal trough – central shaft and a helical ribbon agitator

 Two counteracting ribbon mounted on same shaft

 One moving in one direction

 Second in other direction

 Ribbon – continuous or interrupted

 Mixing – turbulence by counteracting agitators

 Mode of operation – batch or continuous

 Trough – open or closed

 Moderate power consumption

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Ribbon Blender
Ribbon Blender
 Internal screw mixers

 Vertical tank containing a helical conveyor that elevates and circulates the material

 For free flowing grains and light solids

 Double motion helix orbits about the central axis of the conical vessel visiting all

parts of the vessel

 Mixing is slower than ribbon blenders but power requirement is less

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Internal Screw Mixer
Internal Screw Mixer
 Tumbling mixer

 Partly filled container rotating about horizontal axis

 Mostly no grinding element

 Effectively mix – suspension of dry solid in liquid, heavy dry powders

 Wide size range and material of construction

1. Double cone mixer

 Batch – charged from above – 50 to 60 %full
 Free flowing dry powders
 Close end of vessel – operated 5 to 20 min

2. Twin shell blender

 Two cylinder joined to form a V
 rotated about horizontal axis
 More effective than double cone mixer
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Double Cone Mixer
Twin Shell Blender
 Impact wheels

 Operating continuously by spreading them out in a thin layer under centrifugal

action
 Several dry ingredients are fed continuously near the high speed spinning disk 10 to

27 in. in diameter throwing it in a stationary casing.

 Intense shear cause mixing

 1750 to 3500 rpm

 Several passes through same or in series

 1 to 25 tons/hr

 Fine light powders like insecticides

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Impact Wheels
 Power Requirement for mixing

 Mechanical Energy is required for mixing

 Large for heavy plastics masses
 Relatively small for dry solids

 Only part of the energy supplied is directly useful and this part is small

 Mixers
 Work intensively on small quantities
 Work slowly on large quantities

 Light machines waste less energy than heavier one

 The shorter the mixing time required to bring the material to homogeneity, larger

the useful fraction of energy supplied

 Major portion of energy supplied appears as heat

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 Criteria of Mixing Effectiveness: Mixing Index

 Performance criteria

o Time required for mixing

o Power load of mixer

o Properties of product from mixer

 Effective mixing objectives

o Rapid mixing action with less time

o Minimum power required

o High degree of uniformity (homogeneous product)

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 Mixing index for cohesive solids/pastes

 The degree of uniformity by sample analysis is a measure of mixing effectiveness

 Sampling – number of spot samples

 A – tracer

 B – tracer free

 μ – overall concentration of tracer in mixture

 N – number of spot samples

 xi – conc. of tracer in ith sample

 x’ – average concentration of tracer in all spot samples

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  If N is very large, i.e; N infinite
 average conc. will be equal to overall conc. of tracer (x’ = µ)

 If N is very small, i.e; N zero

 average conc. and overall conc. of tracer will be appreciably different ( (x’ ≠ µ)
 If the mixture is perfectly mixed

 conc. of each sample is same as average conc. (x i = x’)

 If the mixture is not completely mixed

 conc. of each sample is different from average conc. (x i ≠ x’)

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 Statistical method/procedure to find out quality of mixing

 Assumption – methods used for determining the conc. of tracer are highly accurate

 Standard deviation of xi about the average value of x’ is a measure of quality of

mixing i.e. xi – x’

 Mean deviation of conc.

 Mean square value of deviation

 Root mean square value – standard deviation

 Population standard deviation - σ
 Sample standard deviation – s

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 So the sample standard deviation

 low value of s  Good mixing

 High value of s  Poor mixing

 More general measure of mixer effectiveness is given by ‘Mixing

Index’

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 Mixing index is the ratio of standard deviation at zero time to the
standard deviation at any time

 At t = 0, there will be two layers in the mixer; one containing

tracer material and the other containing tracer free material.

 Standard deviation at zero time is given by:

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  Mixing index for pastes

 Ratio of max standard deviation to the instantaneous standard deviation

 Ip is unity at the start and increases as mixing

 Theoretically Ip would become infinity at long mixing times but actually it does not

occur.

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