Exploring solids mixing and milling: mechanisms, segregation, and product development

Are you looking for expert solutions in solids mixing and milling powder? Look no further than Solids Solutions. With a wide range of mixing equipment and milling techniques, they offer comprehensive services for product development in various industries. Whether you need to achieve homogeneous mixtures or reduce particle sizes, Solids Solutions has the expertise and equipment to meet your needs. Their precise methods ensure accurate analysis and quality control, providing you with the desired results. Trust Solids Solutions for all your solids mixing and milling powder requirements.

What are the different mechanisms used in solids mixing? How can segregation of powder mixtures occur?

There are three mechanisms commonly used in solids mixing: mixing solids, convection, diffusion, and shear. In convection mixing, masses or groups of particles transfer from one location to another. Diffusion mixing involves the distribution of individual particles over a surface developed within the mixture. Shear mixing occurs when groups of particles are mixed through the formation of slipping planes within the mass of the mixture.

Segregation of powder mixtures can occur when particles with significantly different densities are mixed. Denser particles tend to settle to the bottom of the mixture, while coarse and fine particles can segregate from each other when set in motion. Quality control is important in the mixing process to prevent undesired segregation.

In order to measure the degree of homogeneity in a solids mixing process, representative sub-lots of the mixture need to be sampled. Factors such as the method of sampling, the number of samples, the size of the samples, and the location of each sample in the bulk material can influence the accuracy of the analysis.

Solids Solutions offers a range of mixing equipment for powder mixing, including diffusion mixers, convective mixers, and high shear mixers. The presence of different types of mixers allows for the mixing of solids a wide range of materials in various volumes. High shear mixing, in particular, can achieve a homogeneous mixture and is suitable for lumpy and agglomerate materials.

The company also offers product characterization services, such as particle size analysis and segregation analysis, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the mixing of solids process.

Milling powder

Product development by milling, also known as milling powder, is a common process used in powder processing to reduce the size of solid materials for various purposes. The objective of size reduction is to produce smaller particles with larger surface areas or specific shapes and sizes. Milling can be combined with sieving to further narrow down the particle size distribution.

Solids Solutions offers milling powder services using equipment with different mixing principles in their field testing area. They utilize an ultra-centrifugal mill that effectively reduces soft to medium-hard and fibrous solids to a well-defined size distribution through impact and shearing effects. The mill has a wide range of applications in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, minerals, and more.

For even smaller particle sizes, Solids Solutions uses ball milling, which works on the principle of impact and attrition. The size reduction occurs as the balls drop and impact the surface of the particles. This method is most effective with relatively small sample sizes and is used for materials like coal, pigments, and clay.

In addition to traditional milling methods, Solids Solutions also offers cryogenic milling for heat-sensitive and tough-to-mill materials. Cryogenic milling involves cooling or chilling the material and then reducing it into a smaller particle size. This method is particularly useful for materials like cocoa nibs, which can become lumpy and sticky at ambient temperatures.

Particle size analysis is an essential part of the size reduction procedure to confirm the effectiveness of the milling powder process. It helps measure the particle size distribution and verify whether the desired size has been achieved.

Solids Solutions provides expert milling powder services for product development, catering to various industries’ specific needs and requirements.