EKATO Experimental and R&D Capabilities

Welcome to the latest edition of “The Art of Mixing”!

In this issue, we delve into a critical aspect of mixing and agitation: the necessity of conducting mixing trials for various agitated applications.

As mixing is a fundamental process all across process industry, ranging from pharmaceuticals to food production, it plays a pivotal role in achieving desired product quality, consistency, and efficiency.

The science behind mixing has been widely investigated and, meanwhile, is more than well understood. Modelling has taken over for a lot of sections. However, the diversity of materials, viscosities, and operating conditions sometimes demands for a tailored approach to mixing. Here's why conducting mixing trials is indispensable:

1. Material Compatibility: Different materials interact uniquely under agitation. Some substances may exhibit unexpected reactions or phase separations, which can compromise product quality or even pose safety hazards. By conducting mixing trials, engineers can assess material compatibility and mitigate potential risks.
2. Optimization of Mixing Conditions: Agitated applications vary in terms of speed, shear, and mixing time requirements. What works well for one application may not be suitable for another. Through systematic trials, operators can identify the optimal mixing conditions to achieve desired outcomes efficiently.
3. Equipment Suitability: Mixing equipment comes in various designs, each suited to specific applications. Trials help evaluate whether the chosen agitator design and configuration align with the requirements of the application. Factors such as impeller type, size, and placement significantly influence mixing performance.
4. Performance Validation: Even minor variations in operating conditions or material properties can impact mixing performance. Trials provide an opportunity to validate theoretical predictions and ensure that the selected mixing strategy delivers the expected results in real-world scenarios.
5. Process Scale-Up: Scaling up from laboratory-scale to production-level mixing presents unique challenges. For a lot of applications modelling might help. But especially for multi-phase applications e.g. involving gas, liquid and solid components at the same time, conducting trials is inevitable for scale-up. Testing at different scales enables engineers to assess scalability factors such as fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and mass transfer, ensuring a seamless transition to larger production volumes.
6. Continuous Improvement: Mixing technology continues to evolve, offering opportunities for enhancing efficiency, product quality, and sustainability. By regularly conducting mixing trials, organizations can stay abreast of the latest advancements and continuously optimize their mixing processes.

Targeted experimental investigations become predominantly necessary if it comes to new or sophisticated agitated processes, that for example involve multiple mixing tasks or complex rheological behavior.

EKATO RMT runs a modern R&D lab and pilot plant unit as part of the headquarters at Schopfheim, Germany (Picture 1). Here, innovative solutions are developed for established applications as well as for new, growing industries.

The different facilities allow cold-flow testing at multi cubic meter scale as well as laboratory and pilot plant testing where the original process can be run and investigated at smaller scale.

As an example, reaction and crystallization tests for the recycling of PET flakes have been carried out in EKATO’s 50 l lab unit “ELA 50” (Picture 2). This allows to optimize the agitation system to maximize the process performance.

If mixing experiments have to be done on site, EKATO has several 5l Test Units (Picture 3) available which can be shipped to the customer. The so-called “ELA 5” Units, can be flexibly equipped with almost any EKATO impeller system as well. In some cases it is the only alternative to do experiments with original material and original analytics directly on the spot.

Besides geometric impeller optimizations the right material selection helps to increase the lifetime for demanding media or abrasive environments. Special materials such as ceramics are tested – and provide a way into the future for a lot of applications in minerals processing.

The widespread portfolio of EKATO R&D ensures best state-of-the-art solutions for customers in all fields of applications.

If you are interested in more details, please do not hesitate to register for our corresponding webinar April 18 on “EKATO R&D capabilities”:

https://www.ekato.com/ekato-group/workshops-and-seminars/ekato-experimental-and-rd-capabilities/

Stay tuned for our next issue as we explore innovative approaches to mixing optimization and share industry insights to help you stay ahead in the dynamic world of agitation technology.