Combined static mixers for high viscous fluids mixing

A new static mixer Cross-over-Disc has been invented to strip off the boundary layer and to make strong radial mixing. The pressure drop of Cross-over-Disc is 12-26 times as large as that of empty pipe with equivalent diameter and length. The mixing performance of Cross-over-Disc with 14 elements has been investigated in the viscosity range of 190–250 Pa·s by decoloration method, and the gray analysis of images shows that mixing inhomogeneity is about 7.5% and 9.4% for the mixing ratio of 5:1 and 10:1, respectively. Furthermore, mixing inhomogeneity for a combination of static mixing elements (four from Cross-over-Disc and three pairs from Sulzer-type) can be decreased to 2.1%–3.1% within a reasonable range of pressure drop.