JP2008264640A - Mixing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid mixing apparatus which is small-sized and has high efficiency in regard to the mixing apparatus which is used for mixing minute quantity of liquid in fields of chemical analysis, synthesis or the like. <P>SOLUTION: Two members (A, B), on each surface of which a zigzag shaped groove 11 is provided by scoring and a through hole 12 is provided by boring at one end of the groove, are prepared and fellow surfaces on each of which the groove 11 is provided by scoring are joined. A space surrounded by the groove and the member becomes a flow passage, and the through holes 12 at both ends of the flow passage become an inflow port or an outflow port to constitute the mixing apparatus 10. When mixing liquid is circulated in the mixing apparatus 10, mixing liquid mutually produces vortex flow at a point where the flow passages cross. Thus, the mixing efficiency of the mixing apparatus is improved by providing a large number of intersection points of the flow passages. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mixer for mixing a minute amount of liquid in fields such as chemical analysis and synthesis, and is suitable for use as a mixer for mixing an eluent in a liquid chromatograph, for example.

  In the liquid chromatograph, there is a gradient analysis method in which the composition of the mobile phase flowing into the column changes with time. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the analysis is started from the state where the mobile phase A liquid is 100% and the mobile phase B liquid is 0%, and the mobile phase A liquid feeding ratio is gradually reduced. While increasing the liquid feed ratio of the mobile phase B liquid, and finally changing the mobile phase A liquid to 0% and the mobile phase B liquid to 100%, while changing the holding power of the sample in the column To analyze. In FIG. 4A, the horizontal axis indicates time, and A and B on the vertical axis indicate liquid A 100% and liquid B 100%, respectively.

  A liquid chromatograph for the gradient analysis method is shown in FIG. The liquid feed pumps 2A and 2B are provided on the liquid feed passages for feeding the mobile phases 1A and 1B, respectively. The liquid feed pumps 2A and 2B adjust the liquid feed amount by controlling the number of rotations of the motor. The liquid feed channels are joined by the mixer M, and the mixer M mixes the mobile phases 1A and 1B and feeds them to the analysis channel. A separation column 5 is provided in the analysis flow path via an injector 4 (sample injection part). The column 5 is kept at a constant temperature by a column oven 6, and a detector 7 is provided downstream thereof. The sample injected from the injector 4 is guided to the separation column 5 by the mobile phase mixed in the mixer M and separated for each component. The separated sample component is detected by the detector 7, and the control / processing device 8. Data processing is performed at. Each of the liquid feed pumps 2A and 2B is controlled by the control / processing device 8 so that the liquid feed amount is changed in accordance with a predetermined liquid feed program.

  In the gradient analysis method, since the composition of the mobile phase changes with time, if the mixing is not performed in the mixer M, the accuracy of the analysis is greatly affected.

  FIG. 5A shows a conventional mixer. The mixer 30 constitutes a mixing unit between the inlet 31 and the outlet 32. In the mixing portion, a plurality of disks 33 as shown in FIG. 5B are stacked, and each disk 33 has a long groove 34a extending in the flow direction and a circular groove 34b on the downstream side of the long groove. Yes. The mixed liquid flowing into the disk 33 from the upstream side flows along the shape of the groove as indicated by an arrow indicated by a broken line, and flows into the long groove 34a of the next disk through the through hole 35 formed in the circular groove 34b. . The mixed liquid flows along the groove shape to form a vortex. Thereby, mixing of the liquid is promoted.

The applicant has proposed other mixers of Patent Documents 1 to 3.
Japanese Patent No. 3780917 Patent No. 3824160 Japanese Patent No. 3873929

  A conventional mixer promotes mixing by a vortex formed by circular grooves, but mixing is insufficient when liquids that are difficult to mix with each other are used. Increasing the number of disks increases the internal volume of the groove and increases the time required to pass through the mixer, and is not particularly suitable for analyzing a minute flow rate (several μ / min). An object of this invention is to provide a mixer with high mixing efficiency.

  The mixer according to the present invention made in view of the above problems is a mixer having a mixing section that mixes liquid flowing in from a liquid inlet, and the mixing section is formed by joining a first member and a second member. Grooves are formed in the first member and the second member, and each groove is a first flow path and a second at the joint surface of the first member and the second member. The first flow path and the second flow path intersect each other.

  With this configuration, a space surrounded by a portion where the groove of one member is engraved and a portion where the groove of the other member is not engraved is formed, and this space becomes a flow path through which the mixed liquid flows. The space surrounded by the portion where the groove of one member is engraved and the portion where the groove of the other member is engraved is the intersection of the flow paths.

  The grooves to be engraved have a zigzag shape, so that a large number of intersections are formed in the flow path in the mixer.

  According to the mixer of the present invention, at the intersection of one flow path and the other flow path, the flow of the mixed liquid flowing in one flow path intersects the direction of the flow of the mixed liquid flowing in the other flow path. A vortex is created by applying a flow force in the direction. Mixing is promoted by this vortex, and stable mixing is obtained by the mixer. Highly accurate analysis results can be obtained by stable mixing.

  Hereinafter, the mixer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows components of a mixer based on the idea of the present invention. The first plate-like member 10A is provided with a groove 11A on the surface, and one end of the groove is provided with a connecting portion 12A with another element. The groove has a zigzag shape, and the connecting portion 12A provided at one end of the groove is a through hole formed so as to penetrate the plate-like member 10A. Similarly, the 2nd plate-shaped member 2B also has the groove | channel 11B and the connection part 12B. In this example, the member 10A and the member 10B have the same shape, stainless steel (eg, SUS316) can be used as the material, and the groove can be formed by pressing or etching.

  The mixer 10 is configured by joining the first member 10A and the second member 10B to the surfaces on which grooves are formed. In the mixer 10, a portion drawn by a solid line indicates a portion by the member 10A, and a portion drawn by a broken line shows a portion by the member 10B. The outer shape of the member 10B matches the outer shape of the member 10A.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross section of each part of the mixer 10 and the direction of the flow of the mixed liquid when the mixed liquid is circulated through the mixer 10. The A-A ′ cross section shows the portion of the inlet that allows the liquid mixture to flow into the mixer 10 from the outside. The connecting portion 12A (through hole) of the member 10A serves as an inlet for the mixed liquid. The mixed liquid flows into the mixer 10 along the through hole.

  The B-B ′ cross section illustrates a groove 11 </ b> A that has one end in contact with the connecting portion 12 </ b> A. For the member 10B, no groove is formed in the corresponding portion, and a space surrounded by the groove 11A and the member 10B forms a flow path. The mixed liquid flows along the formed flow path.

  The C-C ′ cross section illustrates a portion where the groove 11 </ b> A carved in the member 10 </ b> A and one end of the groove 11 </ b> B carved in the member 10 </ b> B are joined. This is the first point where the groove 10A and the groove 10B are joined when viewed from the inlet of the mixed liquid. Here, the mixed liquid flowing into the mixer 10 is branched.

  The DD ′ cross section shows that the space surrounded by the groove 11A and the member 10B and the space surrounded by the groove 11B and the member 10A are flow paths (for convenience of explanation, “flow path A” and “flow path B, respectively”, respectively. ) Is shown. The mixed liquid flows along the respective flow paths after branching.

  The EE ′ cross section shows the intersection of the flow path where the flow path A and the flow path B intersect, and the FF ′ cross section shows the intersection with the flow path B viewed along the flow path A. It is shown. The flow direction of the flow path B intersects the flow direction of the flow path A, and both liquids flowing in the flow paths at the intersections form vortices. Within the mixer 10, there are many such intersections to facilitate mixing.

  In the gradient analysis method, it is necessary to obtain an optimum mixing effect with an allowable mixer capacity depending on the purpose. In the mixer according to the present invention, the capacity is determined by the width, depth, and length of the groove to be engraved, so that the mixing efficiency can be improved by increasing the number of intersections. In order to fit in an appropriate size, a zigzag groove may be folded and engraved on the surface of the member. FIG. 3 (a) depicts the first member forming the mixing portion with a zigzag angle of 60 degrees and a pitch of 0.8 mm. FIG. 3 (b) depicts the first member that forms the mixing portion in which zigzag grooves are similarly formed. When the surfaces of the first member and the second member on which the grooves are engraved are joined, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), one side has a square size of about 5 mm, and 40 passage intersections are set. Can do. For example, for a mixer with a capacity of 100 μL, if the groove width is 0.1 mm and the groove depth is 0.1 mm, the total length of the groove is 10 m (5 m groove length × 2 members). When created, the size can be about 10 cm square. The condition of the zigzag shape is an example, and if the angle is made more acute, intersections can be formed with higher density, and a small mixer having equivalent performance can be obtained.

  Comparison of mixing efficiency of the mixers can be performed quantitatively. In the case of a liquid chromatograph, the mixing efficiency can be evaluated using, for example, an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric detector. Insufficient mobile phase mixing will cause undulations in the baseline where the composition of the mobile phase changes along with the delivery program. Since this swell shows a longer period fluctuation than the noise component, it is easy to discriminate. The size of this swell can be used to evaluate the mixing efficiency.

  As described above, the mixer according to the present invention has been described by way of example in which the member A and the member B have the same shape, but may have different shapes. The surface on which the groove is engraved does not have to be a flat surface, and may be three-dimensional, such as the side surface of a columnar member and the inner surface of a cylindrical member. Since the mixer of the present invention forms a branch flow channel in structure, it is preferable that the flow resistance of each flow channel after branching is designed to be equal so that the flow rate of each flow channel is equal. . The channel resistance is determined by the cross-sectional area of the groove, the length, the shape of the channel, the material of the surface of the member forming the channel, and the like.

  The above embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and can be appropriately changed or modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention. It is clear that these changes and modifications are also included in the present invention.

  In liquid chromatographs, the mobile phase mixing part of the gradient analysis method that changes the mobile phase composition over time and sends it to the column, the reaction part of the post column method that reacts and derivatizes the reagent after separation on the column, and the micro liquid It can be used for a mixture of liquids, such as a microreactor for reacting.

It is a figure which shows an example of a mixer which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the direction of the flow of the liquid which flows through sectional drawing of each part, and a flow path about an example of the mixer which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a mixer which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the general chromatograph for demonstrating a gradient analysis method. It is a figure which shows the conventional mixer.

Explanation of symbols

1A, B ... Mobile phase 2A, B ... Liquid feed pump 3 ... Mixer 4 ... Injector 5 ... Column 6 ... Column oven 7 ...・ Detector 8 ... Control / Processing device 10 ... Mixer 10A, B ... Material 11A, B ... Groove 12A, B ... Connector 30 ... Mixer 31 ·········· Inlet 32 ········································ 34

Claims (2)

A mixer having a mixing section for mixing the liquid flowing in from the liquid inlet;
The mixing part is formed by joining a first member and a second member,
Grooves are formed in the first member and the second member,
Each groove forms a first flow path and a second flow path at the joint surface of the first member and the second member,
A mixer characterized in that the first flow path and the second flow path intersect.   The mixer according to claim 1, wherein the groove has a zigzag shape.

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