Static mixer

• US 20010015936A1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sulzer MixPac AG (Sulzer AG)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech AG (Sulzer AG)
• Inventors: Heusser, Rolf, Fleischli, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 6,599,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/337
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2305 Mixers of the two-component package type, i.e. where at least two components are separately stored, and are mixed in the moment of application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/47 involving high-viscosity liquids, e.g. asphalt
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4321 the subflows consisting of at least two flat layers which are recombined, e.g. using means having restriction or expansion zones
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held

Abstract

The static mixer (1) comprises a plurality of mixing chambers (8) which form a mixer structure (1′). The mixing chambers (8) are arranged one behind the other as well as adjacently in a tube (10) along a tube axis (11). They can be used for mixing at least two flowable components (A, B). The mixer structure represents a modification (9) of a basic structure (1″). In said basic structure (1″) the mixing chambers (8) are bounded off from one another by radial walls (2, 3) which are oriented in the direction of the tube axis and by walls (4, 4a, 4b) which are transverse to the tube axis. Apertures between adjacent chambers in the radial walls form inputs and outputs (6a, 6b and, respectively, 7a, 7b) for the components to be mixed. The modification (9) consists of structure changes at individual locations of the basic structure (1″). It is carried out in such a manner that a transversal dislocation of mix-resistant flow filaments (30) results in the flow of the components to be mixed, with these flow filaments being mix-resistant with respect to the basic structure.

Claims

1. Static mixer (1) comprising a plurality of mixing chambers (8) which form a mixer structure (1′

), which are arranged one behind the other as well as adjacently in a tube (10) along a tube axis (11) and which can be used for mixing at least two flowable components (A, B), with the mixer structure representing a modification (9) of a basic structure (1″

),

in said basic structure (1″

) the mixing chambers (8) being bounded off from one another by radial walls (2, 3) which are oriented in the direction of the tube axis and by walls (4, 4a, 4b) which are transverse to the tube axis and apertures between adjacent chambers in the radial walls forming inputs and outputs (6a, 6b and, respectively, 7a, 7b) for the components to be mixed,

whereas the modification (9) consists of structure changes at individual locations of the basic structure (1″

) and is carried out in such a manner that a transversal dislocation of mix-resistant flow filaments (30) which are mix-resistant with respect to the basic structure results in the flow of the components to be mixed.

2. Static mixer in accordance with

claim 1

, characterized in that the mixing chambers (8) of the basic structure (1″

) are equally large chambers without installations and are arranged to be displaced with respect to one another in such a manner that two inputs (6a, 6b) and two outputs (7a, 7b) form connections to four adjacent chambers.

3. Static mixer in accordance with

claim 1

or

claim 2

, characterized in that the modification (9) is formed at least partly by webs (91) which are at an inclination to the tube axis (11) and which in each case in a mixing chamber (8′

) on a radial wall (2, 3) connect (91′

) an input (6b) to an output (7a) in such a manner that the flow is deflected by the web from the tube wall (10) in the direction towards the tube axis (11) or, vice versa, from the tube axis in the direction towards the tube wall.

4. Static mixer in accordance with any one of the

claims 1

to

3

, characterized in that the modification (9) is formed at least partly through shortenings of the lengths of three adjacent chambers (81, 82, 83) while simultaneously reducing the number of inputs or outputs, with a pair of chambers (81, 82) which are arranged one behind the other along the tube axis (11) forming two of these chambers and with the third chamber (83), which is arranged laterally to the chamber pair, producing a connection (92′

) between the two chambers of the pair via two apertures (7c, 92).

5. Static mixer in accordance with any one of the

claims 1

to

4

, characterized in that the mixer structure (1′

) is formed monolithically, in particular is injection molded of a thermoplastic.

6. Static mixer in accordance with any one of the

claims 1

to

5

, characterized in that the mixer structure (1′

) has a square or rectangular cross-section and comprises four adjacently arranged chamber strings, each string forms a series of from 5 to 15 chambers (8) and each chamber of the basic structure (1″

) has a length which is 1.5 to 2.5 times as long as a chamber width, with this width being greater than 1 mm and less than 10 mm, preferably at least 2 mm and at the maximum 5 mm.

7. Apparatus (100) comprising a multi-chamber container (100a) for the separate reception of at least two flowable components (A, B), which can be pressed in through outputs of the container into a tube part (10) which is placed onto the container, and comprising a mixer structure (1′

) which is arranged in the tube part and which together with the tube part forms a static mixer (1) in accordance with any one of the

claims 1

to

6

.

8. Apparatus in accordance with

claim 7

, characterized in that the chambers (101, 102) of the container (100a) are cylindrical;

and in that piston-like means (111, 112) are provided, by means of which the flowable components (A, B) can be pressed out of the chambers.

9. Use of a static mixer in accordance with any one of the

claims 1

to

6

, in particular in an apparatus (100) in accordance with

claim 7

or

claim 8

, for mixing a highly viscous component (A) with at least one further component (B) which can have a viscosity which is less by a factor of from 10 to 1000, with it being possible for the mass flow of the further component to be less than the mass flow of the highly viscous component by a multiple.