Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
  • B01F23/53—Mixing liquids with solids using driven stirrers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
  • B01F23/57—Mixing high-viscosity liquids with solids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/05—Stirrers
  • B01F27/11—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers
  • B01F27/111—Centrifugal stirrers, i.e. stirrers with radial outlets; Stirrers of the turbine type, e.g. with means to guide the flow
  • B01F27/1111—Centrifugal stirrers, i.e. stirrers with radial outlets; Stirrers of the turbine type, e.g. with means to guide the flow with a flat disc or with a disc-like element equipped with blades, e.g. Rushton turbine
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/05—Stirrers
  • B01F27/11—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers
  • B01F27/112—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers with arms, paddles, vanes or blades
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/05—Stirrers
  • B01F27/11—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers
  • B01F27/17—Stirrers with additional elements mounted on the stirrer, for purposes other than mixing
  • B01F27/171—Stirrers with additional elements mounted on the stirrer, for purposes other than mixing for disintegrating, e.g. for milling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/21—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders characterised by their rotating shafts
  • B01F27/2122—Hollow shafts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/27—Mixers with stator-rotor systems, e.g. with intermeshing teeth or cylinders or having orifices
  • B01F27/271—Mixers with stator-rotor systems, e.g. with intermeshing teeth or cylinders or having orifices with means for moving the materials to be mixed radially between the surfaces of the rotor and the stator
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/80—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
  • B01F27/84—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis with two or more stirrers rotating at different speeds or in opposite directions about the same axis
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/80—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
  • B01F27/90—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis with paddles or arms 
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/80—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
  • B01F27/93—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis with rotary discs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/40—Mixers using gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/80—Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/82—Combinations of dissimilar mixers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/20—Measuring; Control or regulation
  • B01F35/22—Control or regulation
  • B01F35/222—Control or regulation of the operation of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed or power of motors; of the position of mixing devices or elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/50—Mixing receptacles
  • B01F35/52—Receptacles with two or more compartments
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/50—Mixing receptacles
  • B01F35/53—Mixing receptacles characterised by the configuration of the interior, e.g. baffles for facilitating the mixing of components

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a dispersion mixing device and a dispersion mixing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dispersion mixing device and a dispersion mixing method that can efficiently achieve a uniformly dispersed state in the creation of a slurry, which is a mixture of powder and liquid.
• Dispersion and mixing equipment which mixes powder and liquid as raw materials and disperses, dissolves or suspends them to prepare a slurry, which is a mixture of solid particles and liquid, is used in a wide range of manufacturing processes in fields such as lithium-ion battery electrode materials, coating materials, nanofiber dispersion composites, cosmetics such as lotions, pharmaceuticals such as ointments, and food.
• various mixers such as planetary mixers and twin-axis kneaders are known, as well as dispersing devices that mix while transporting the powder or liquid.
• Patent Document 1 discloses a slurry mixer for battery electrodes that has a low-speed agitator and a high-speed agitator in a container and mixes liquid and powdered materials.
• the objective of the present invention is to provide a dispersion mixing device and a dispersion mixing method that can effectively and uniformly disperse powder and liquid in the dispersion mixing process of powder and liquid, and can stably and efficiently produce slurries, particularly of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials.
• the present invention provides an apparatus and method for dispersing and mixing powder and liquid, characterized in that:
• the cavitation generating section is provided with dispersion blades that generate cavitation by rotationally driving a rotor, and the rotor rotates at a peripheral speed of 15 m/s or more.
• the dispersion blade by rotating the dispersion blade at a sufficient and appropriate peripheral speed, the dispersion blade itself stirs the slurry, and a negative pressure suction force is generated that draws the liquid into the dispersion blade. Then, cavitation can be stably generated on the rear side of the dispersion blade in the rotation direction (the back side of the dispersion blade). This makes it possible to efficiently and continuously generate strong cavitation, so that more effective and efficient dispersion mixing can be performed, and a slurry with excellent homogeneity can be obtained.
• one embodiment of the dispersion mixing device of the present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a stator having a perforated portion installed adjacent to the rotor, and the slurry is applied with a shear force by passing through the gap between the dispersion blades and the stator.
• one embodiment of the dispersion mixing device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a first shaft inserted into the tank from the top of the tank, a stirring blade provided on the first shaft, and a second shaft inserted coaxially with the first shaft, with a rotor and a dispersion blade provided at the tip of the second shaft.
• the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor and dispersing blades causes the slurry to rise along the inner wall of the tank, and the stirring blades return the slurry toward the bottom of the tank, circulating the liquid within the tank.
• this feature allows multiple shafts that serve as rotating shafts to be arranged coaxially and vertically in the tank, making it easy to select and arrange shaft seals that minimize leakage to the outside. This makes it possible to prevent contact between the powder and liquid in the tank and the atmosphere outside the tank, enabling stable slurry production regardless of the properties of the powder and liquid.
• the slurry is drawn by negative pressure from above a cavitation generating section disposed at the bottom of a tank and moves by convection.
• the negative pressure suction force generated by the rotation of the dispersion blades quickly draws the slurry back to the cavitation generating section at the bottom of the tank and circulates it. This allows the generation of cavitation and the application of shear force to be repeated more efficiently, and a more homogeneous slurry can be obtained efficiently.
• the dispersion mixing method of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems includes a cavitation generation process for generating cavitation in a liquid, and the cavitation generation process is characterized in that cavitation is generated inside a tank having an inlet for introducing liquid and powder and having space in which the cavitation generation process can be carried out, while the tank is completely immersed in the liquid inside the tank.
• the cavitation generating process is completely immersed in the liquid and driven without entraining gas from the outside, so that cavitation is generated stably and continuously in the liquid in the tank.
• the present invention provides a dispersion mixing device and a dispersion mixing method that can effectively and uniformly disperse powder and liquid when mixing them, and can stably and efficiently produce slurries, particularly of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a dispersion mixer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram (side view) showing the structure of a cavitation generating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram (plan view) showing the structure of a cavitation generating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the dispersion mixer according to the present invention in which dispersion blades are arranged facing upward and the fluid movement path thereof.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a dispersion mixer according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which dispersion blades are arranged facing downward and the fluid movement path thereof.
• dispersion mixing apparatus and dispersion mixing method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
• the dispersion method in the present invention is replaced with the explanation of the operation of the dispersion mixing apparatus in the present invention.
• the dispersion mixing apparatus and the dispersion mixing method described in the embodiments are merely exemplified to explain the dispersion mixing apparatus and the dispersion mixing method according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.
• the dispersion mixer of the present invention may be any device that mixes powder and liquid, and the mixing process may involve either dissolving or suspending powder in liquid. Therefore, the mixture obtained by the dispersion mixer of the present invention is in the form of a liquid or a slurry.
• the dispersion and mixing device of the present invention can be widely applied in industrial fields that utilize the mixing of powders and liquids.
• Examples of such fields include the preparation of components for industrial products using nanomaterial dispersion materials, the manufacture of cosmetics such as lotions, medicines such as ointments, and food.
• it can be suitably used in the manufacture of various products that often involve combinations of powders and liquids that are prone to problems such as high concentration, high viscosity, poor dispersion, and aggregation.
• Examples of the powder in the present invention include active materials (positive and negative active materials) known as electrode materials for secondary batteries, solid electrolytes, binders, etc.
• Other examples include inorganic powders such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, graphene, mica, talc, alumina, silica, zeolite, ceramics, etc., powders of metals or metal oxides, cellulose nanofibers, and various organic powders for use in medicines, cosmetics, foods, etc.
• a single type of powder raw material may be used, or multiple types of powder raw materials may be used.
• the dispersion mixing apparatus and dispersion mixing method of the present invention can effectively block contact with the outside (atmosphere) during mixing. Therefore, as the powder of the present invention, it is possible to handle even substances that are difficult to handle because they react with moisture or oxygen in the atmosphere to generate harmful gases or ignite.
• liquids include water and aqueous solvents, as well as non-aqueous solvents (inorganic solvents and organic solvents).
• the type of liquid can be appropriately selected in consideration of the combination with the powder, depending on the functions and properties required of the final mixture.
• Organic solvents include organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, hexane, toluene, benzene, DMSO, DMF, etc., and oils such as paraffin oil, and inorganic solvents include silicone oil.
• a single type of liquid may be used, or multiple types of liquids may be mixed and used.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a dispersion mixer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the dispersion mixer 1 includes a tank 3 and a cavitation generating unit 4.
• the dispersion mixer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example of the dispersion mixer 1 in this embodiment, and is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.
• the dispersion mixing device 1 is configured to charge powder P and liquid L into a tank 3, and disperse and mix the powder P and liquid L within the tank 3 using a cavitation generating section 4 and an agitating section 2 to obtain a slurry S.
• a cavitation generating section 4 and an agitating section 2 to obtain a slurry S.
• the tank 3 is a container that stores the raw materials, powder P and liquid L, and has a space for housing a cavitation generating section 4 for preparing a slurry S.
• the tank 3 in this embodiment may, as shown in FIG. 1, have a cavitation generating section 4 stored at the bottom thereof completely immersed in liquid L, and be provided with a liquid inlet 31 and a powder inlet 32.
• the tank 3 is not particularly limited in its specific shape and structure, so long as it is a container that provides sufficient space for dispersing and mixing the powder P and the liquid L. However, it is preferable for the tank 3 to have a structure that allows the mixture, the slurry S, to easily circulate by convection at the bottom without remaining in a part of the tank 3 during operation.
• the cylindrical, round-bottom shape shown in Figure 1 is preferably used.
• the material used for the tank 3 is preferably one that does not react with the liquid L and powder P (hereinafter collectively referred to as "materials") being used and is not corroded.
• materials include containers made of stainless steel or with a corrosion-resistant glass lining.
• the inner surface of the tank 3 may be coated with a liquid-repellent material to prevent the material from sticking to the surface.
• the tank 3 it is desirable for the tank 3 to have a sealable structure.
• the liquid inlet 31 is an inlet for introducing the liquid L used for mixing into the tank 3.
• a storage tank for storing the liquid L and a flow meter for measuring and controlling the amount of liquid introduced may be installed above the liquid inlet 31.
• the powder inlet 32 is an inlet for introducing the powder P used for mixing into the tank 3.
• a powder supply feeder for supplying the powder P, and a powder supply section equipped with a hopper and a load cell may be installed above the powder inlet 32.
• the cavitation generating section 4 has a function of generating cavitation in the liquid L. This generates fine bubbles in the liquid L, continuously disperses aggregates in the powder P, and enables effective and efficient dispersion and mixing.
• the cavitation generating unit 4 is driven in such a way that gas is drawn in from outside the cavitation generating unit 4, the generation of cavitation in the liquid L is likely to be insufficient. Therefore, the cavitation generating unit 4 needs to generate cavitation while being completely immersed in the liquid L inside the tank 3. For this reason, it is preferable that the cavitation generating unit 4 is disposed parallel to the bottom surface of the tank 3 and in the vicinity of the bottom of the tank 3.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram (side view) showing an example of the structure of the cavitation generating section 4 in the dispersion mixer 1 of this embodiment.
• the arrows in FIG. 2 indicate the movement path of the fluid (material).
• FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram (a plan view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2) showing an example of the structure of the cavitation generating section 4 in the dispersion mixer 1 of this embodiment.
• the cavitation generating section 4 in this embodiment includes a rotor 43 that is rotated and driven, and has a plurality of dispersion vanes 42 arranged circumferentially inside a casing 41.
• the rotor 43 is rotated by a drive motor M2 through a shaft (second shaft 44) (see also Figures 4 and 5 described later).
• the cavitation generating portion 4 in this embodiment may be a concentric ring-shaped stator 45 having holes arranged concentrically adjacent to the rotor 43 . Each component of the cavitation generating section 4 will be described below.
• the casing 41 forms a space in which the rotor 43, dispersion blades 42, and stator 45 are arranged.
• the shape of the casing 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it may be a bottomed cylinder having an outer peripheral wall and a bottom, and the bottom and outer peripheral wall (side) may have slits or hole-like openings for introducing and discharging the slurry S as needed.
• the rotor 43 is a disk-shaped rotating structure equipped with a dispersion blade 42, and generates cavitation on the back surface of the dispersion blade 42 by rotating at high speed.
• the rotor 43 in this embodiment is disposed at the tip of a second shaft 44 which serves as a rotation axis, and is connected to a drive motor M2 through the shaft 44, so as to rotate at high speed.
• a mechanical seal as a shaft sealing mechanism (shaft seal portion) of the rotating shaft (second shaft 44) that serves as the drive shaft, and to make the mechanical seal non-contact by compressed air. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the shaft seal portion due to the rotational drive (sliding), and to facilitate stable and continuous dispersion and mixing in the tank 3.
• the second shaft 44 is inserted coaxially with the first shaft 22 that rotates the stirring blade 21 in the stirring section 4 described below. It is also preferable that the rotation direction of the stirring blade 21 and the rotation direction of the dispersion blade 42 are opposite to each other. This is because by reversing the direction in which the slurry S is scattered inside the tank 3 due to the rotation of the dispersion blade 42 and the rotation direction in which the stirring blade receives it and returns it to the bottom of the tank 3, the stirring efficiency of the slurry S inside the tank 3 is improved and the circulation of the liquid to the bottom of the tank 3 is promoted.
• the lower limit of the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is preferably 15 m/s or more, more preferably 35 m/s or more.
• the upper limit of the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is preferably 50 m/s or less. If the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is too low, cavitation of sufficient strength is not generated on the back surface of the dispersion blade 42. On the other hand, if the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is too high, the centrifugal force generated is too strong, and the momentum of the slurry dispersion in the circumferential direction becomes too strong, so that the supply by the circulating liquid to the bottom of the tank 3 cannot keep up. In addition, problems such as the shaft seal portion of the rotating shaft (second shaft 44) of the rotor 43 becoming easily worn out occur.
• the dispersion blade 42 is arranged so as to protrude from the rotor 43, and as the rotor 43 rotates at high speed, it has the effect of dispersing and mixing the powder P into the liquid L, and also generates cavitation on its back surface.
• the specific shape of the dispersion blade 42 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a blade shape whose width and height become narrower toward the rear in the rotation direction of the rotor 43, and a shape that slopes downward from the rear to the front in the rotation direction of the rotor 43. This makes it possible to efficiently generate cavitation on the back surface of the dispersion blade 42.
• There is no particular limitation on the arrangement or number of the dispersion blades 42 For example, a plurality of dispersion blades 42 may be arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the rotor 43. A specific example of the dispersion blade 42 in this embodiment will be described later.
• the cavitation generating unit 4 may be any unit capable of generating cavitation in the liquid L by the high speed rotation of the rotor 43, and the detailed structures of the rotor 43 and the dispersion blades 42 are not particularly limited.
• the cavitation generating unit 4 may include multiple combinations of the rotor 43 and the dispersion blades 42.
• a specific example of the cavitation generating section 4 in this embodiment is one that includes a first rotor 43a provided with a first dispersion vane 42a and a second rotor 43b provided with a second dispersion vane 42b, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
• the first rotor 43a is configured such that its front surface bulges out in a generally truncated cone shape, and a plurality of first dispersion blades 42a are arranged at equal intervals on its outer periphery so as to protrude forward. In Fig. 3, ten first dispersion blades 42a are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
• the first rotor 43a is connected to the second shaft 44, which is the rotation axis.
• first dispersion blade 42a is formed to protrude from the outer periphery side to the inner periphery side of the first rotor 43a so as to incline backward in the direction of rotation as it moves from the inner periphery side to the outer periphery side, and the inner diameter formed by the tip of the first dispersion blade 42a is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the stator 44 described later.
• the second rotor 43b is configured to be generally funnel-shaped with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the stator 44. Specifically, the second rotor 43b is configured to have a funnel-shaped portion 431b at its center, which protrudes cylindrically and has an opening, and an annular flat plate portion 432b disposed parallel to the first rotor 43a on the outer periphery of the funnel-shaped portion 431b. A plurality of second dispersion blades 42b are arranged at equal intervals in a protruding state in the circumferential direction of the annular flat plate portion 432b.
• the second dispersion blades 42b may be rod-shaped or triangular prism-shaped protrusions, and may have a front-down shape with the tip side inclined toward the funnel-shaped portion 431b.
• the second rotor 43b is attached to the first rotor 43a via spacing members 46 arranged at a plurality of locations (four locations in this embodiment) at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so that the opening of the funnel-shaped portion 431b faces the bottom of the tank 3.
• the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b rotate integrally by the rotational drive through the second shaft 44.
• the stator 45 is a partition plate having a perforated portion arranged adjacent to the rotor 43, and more specifically, a cylindrical member concentric with the rotor 43 is arranged adjacent to the rotor 43 and the dispersion blade 42.
• the stator 45 is arranged between the first rotor 43a and the first rotor 43b, that is, between the first dispersion blade 42a and the second dispersion blade 42b.
• the shape of the perforated portion in the stator 45 is not particularly limited, and may be a round hole, a square hole, a slit, etc. Usually, a plurality of holes are provided at equal intervals.
• the stator 45 may be fixed to the casing 41, but is preferably rotatable in the opposite direction to the rotor 43 equipped with the dispersion blades 42, thereby enhancing the effect of applying shear force. When rotating the stator 45, the stator 45 may be connected to a first shaft 22 in the stirring section 2 described later and rotated in synchronization with the first shaft 22.
• the rotor 43 (first rotor 43a and second rotor 43b) is rotated at high speed via the drive motor M2 and the second shaft 44.
• the powder P and liquid L (slurry S) are introduced into the space inside the casing 41 through the gap between the first rotor 43a and the casing 41 and the opening provided in the casing 41.
• the dispersion blade 42 disperses and mixes the powder P in the liquid L, and cavitation (local boiling) occurs in the liquid L located on the rear surface (back surface) of the dispersion blade 42 in the rotation direction according to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 41.
• the cavitation generation can create a state in which a large number of fine bubbles are generated in the liquid L.
• the liquid L that has penetrated the aggregates of the powder P also foams, promoting the dispersion of the aggregates.
• the fine bubbles generated in the liquid L repeatedly expand and contract, further promoting the dispersion of the powder P.
• the slurry S passes through the flow path between the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b formed by the gap retaining member 46 from the opening of the funnel-shaped portion 431b of the second rotor 43b, and then is subjected to a shear force as it passes through the gap between the first dispersion blade 42a and the stator 45 and the holes in the stator 45, further promoting dispersion.
• the stator 45 in addition to promoting dispersion by cavitation occurring near the dispersion blades 42, the stator 45 provides repeated shear forces, enabling efficient and effective dispersion and mixing of the materials introduced into the tank 3. In addition to circulating within the cavitation generating section 4, a portion of the slurry S is released outside the cavitation generating section 4 from the opening of the casing 41, etc.
• the dispersion mixer 1 in this embodiment may be one in which the cavitation generating unit 4 including the rotor 43 can be arranged in a manner that is completely immersed in the liquid L in the tank 3, but it is preferable to store the cavitation generating unit 4 at the bottom of the tank 3 and make the rotation axis vertical, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 4 and 5 described later.
• the rotation axis is horizontal in the tank 3, when the shaft seal of the rotation axis is worn, the slurry S inside the casing 41 may leak through the shaft seal and come into contact with the outside air.
• the dispersion mixing device 1 is preferably provided with an agitation section 2 in addition to the cavitation generation section 4. This makes it possible to efficiently introduce (guide) the slurry S diffusing in the tank 3 to the cavitation generation section 4.
• the stirring unit 2 includes, for example, a stirring blade 21 for stirring the entire inside of the tank 3 and a first shaft 22 that serves as the axis of rotation of the stirring blade 21, as shown in FIG. 1.
• the stirring blade 21 stirs the slurry S inside the tank 3 at a relatively low speed, and sends the slurry S that has been diffused or scattered inside the tank 3 by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotor 43 equipped with the dispersion blades 42 of the cavitation generation section 4 back to the bottom of the tank 3, while also stirring the entire slurry S inside the tank 3 to make it uniform.
• the stirring blade 21 is rotated by a drive motor M1 via a first shaft 22.
• the number of stirring blades 21 may be one or more, but if there are two, they are usually provided at positions rotationally symmetrical to the shaft, such as in a perpendicular direction.
• the shape of the stirring blade 21 is preferably designed so as to cover as much of the space inside the tank 3 as possible so as to prevent any unstirred portion from being formed inside the tank 3 in order to return the slurry S to the bottom of the tank 3.
• the shape of the stirring blade 21 may be an inverted home plate shape (a sector shape) to generate a pressure difference between the top and bottom of the tank 3 so that the slurry S in the tank 3 flows from the top to the bottom of the tank 3.
• the first shaft 22 is inserted into the tank 3 from the top of the tank 3, and functions as a rotation axis of the stirring blade 21. As described above, the first shaft 22 is preferably inserted coaxially with the second shaft 44 in the cavitation generating section 4. This allows the stirring blade 21 to return the slurry S that has risen along the inner wall of the tank 3 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor 43 and the dispersing blade 42 in the cavitation generating section 4 toward the bottom of the tank 3 and circulate the slurry S within the tank 3, and by repeatedly continuing to generate cavitation and apply shear force, a more homogeneous slurry can be efficiently obtained.
• the cavitation generating section 4 there is no particular limitation on the arrangement direction (vertical direction) of the dispersion vanes 42 attached to the rotor 43.
• the dispersion vanes 42 may be arranged either below the rotor 43 (on the bottom side of the tank 3) or above the rotor 43 (on the ceiling side of the tank 3).
• Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing the overall structure of the dispersion mixer 1 in this embodiment, each showing a structure in which the arrangement direction of the dispersion vanes 42 in the cavitation generating section 4 is different. Note that Figure 4 shows a structure in which the dispersion vanes 42 are arranged below the rotor 43, and Figure 5 shows a structure in which the dispersion vanes 42 are arranged above the rotor 43.
• the flow of the slurry S in the structure of the dispersion mixer 1 is as shown in the figure, first dispersed and mixed by the dispersion blades 42, and then rotates outward from the side of the cavitation generation section 4. After that, the slurry S moves from the bottom of the tank 3 to the top along the inner wall of the tank 3, and is stirred by the stirring blades 21, circulates within the tank 3, and returns to the cavitation generation section 4 from the vicinity of the dispersion blades 42 and the stator 45 at the top of the cavitation generation section 4.
• the dispersion blades 42 rotate in the limited space between the bottom of the tank 3 and the casing 41, thereby achieving a stronger cavitation effect.
• the flow of the slurry S in the structure of the dispersion mixer 1 is as shown in the figure, first dispersed and mixed by the dispersion blades 42, and then rotates outward from the side of the cavitation generation section 4. After that, the slurry S moves from the bottom of the tank 3 to the top along the inner wall of the tank 3, and is stirred by the stirring blades 21, circulates within the tank 3, and returns to the cavitation generation section 4 from near the center of the dispersion blades 42 at the top of the cavitation generation section 4.
• convection is facilitated throughout the tank 3, and an effect of facilitating uniform dispersion is obtained.
• the above-mentioned embodiment shows an example of the dispersion mixing device and dispersion mixing method of the present invention.
• the dispersion mixing device and dispersion mixing method of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the dispersion mixing device and dispersion mixing method according to the above-mentioned embodiment may be modified within the scope of the gist of the claims.
• the dispersion mixing device and dispersion mixing method of the present invention are suitable for use when preparing slurries by mixing powders and liquids.
• they are suitable for use in producing slurries of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials. More specifically, they can be used in the production of lithium ion battery electrode materials, coating materials, nanofiber dispersion composites, cosmetics such as lotions, medicines such as ointments, and foods.
• 1... Dispersion mixing device 2... Stirring section 21... Stirring blade, 22...first shaft, 3.
• Tank 31...liquid inlet, 32...powder inlet, 4... cavitation generating section, 41...Casing, 42...Dispersion wing, 42a...first dispersion blade, 42b...second dispersion blade, 43...Rotor, 43a...first rotor, 43b...second rotor, 431b...funnel-shaped portion, 432b...annular flat plate portion, 44...second shaft, 45...Stator, 46...gap retaining member, L...liquid, P: powder, S: slurry; M1, M2: Drive motor

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Mixers Of The Rotary Stirring Type (AREA)

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• 2023
  • 2023-10-03 JP JP2024561215A patent/JPWO2024116594A1/ja active Pending
  • 2023-10-03 WO PCT/JP2023/036070 patent/WO2024116594A1/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2023-11-01 TW TW112141922A patent/TWI877878B/zh active

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