How the Triple Shaft Mixer Works

We offer Dual and Triple Shaft designs to meet the specific requirements of each customer.
The economical Dual Shaft design includes a two-wing anchor agitator and a conventional
high speed disperser. This combination is ideal for straight forward mixing and dispersion
applications.

The triple shaft design extends the operating range by adding either a high shear rotor-
stator mixer or a second high speed disperser. The addition of a high shear rotor-stator
mixer adds the capability of emulsifying and homogenizing products that require higher
shear to reduce the size of the particles being mixed.
Mixing viscous suspensions Selecting the best mixer for your suspension Many modern
products are processed as suspensions consisting of solid particles dispersed in liquid.
Depending on the chemistry of the raw materials, suspensions take on a wide range of
rheologies – from a low-viscosity slurry or a flowable gel to a thick heavy paste. Whether
it’s a paint formulation, sunscreen lotion, ceramic composite, battery paste or
pharmaceutical drug, mixer selection is primarily dictated by two parameters: viscosity
and shear energy. The main mixing objective is to completely wet-out the individual solid
particles and create a stable suspension. Any presence of undispersed agglomerates in the
mixture can lead to defects in the final product, poor performance, low strength, shorter
shelf-life and other undesirable properties. While a number of mixer designs may be
suitable for your particular process, selecting the best configuration is important in
optimizing cost, efficiency, and lot-to-lot consistency. A new take on solids dispersion The
biggest challenge in solid-liquid mixing is obtaining a thorough dispersion. To this end, high
speed devices such as saw-tooth dispersers and rotor/stator mixers are commonly
employed, often in combination with a low speed agitator designed to promote bulk flow
and uniform temperature throughout a viscous batch. This multishaft mixer configuration
is suitable for formulations that are several hundred thousand centipoise. Conventionally,
solids are charged right on top of the batch when the mixer is stopped or added through
the cover while the liquid is being agitated. This step of the mixing process is sometimes a
bottleneck especially when dealing with powders Continued on page 2 TECHNOLOGY
BRIEF: Solid-liquid suspensions are prepared in different types of mixing equipment,
depending on viscosity and shear level requirements. This bulletin presents some mixer
solutions for efficient and consistent dispersion of solid raw materials into a viscous liquid.
that tend to dust, float on the liquid surface or form agglomerates. One solution is to utilize
a rotor/stator mixer designed for sub-surface powder induction. For instance, Ross Multi-
Shaft Mixers are commonly supplied with the Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold (SLIM)
System either built into the batch rotor/stator or as an external inline (recirculation) unit.
Powders like silica, carbon black, graphite, talc, alumina, bentonite clay, titanium dioxide
and other pigments are quickly introduced into the batch by virtue of the vacuum-
generating SLIM rotor. By drawing solids right into the high shear zone, the SLIM helps
eliminate dusting, floating powders and lumps. For optimal performance, liquid viscosity
must remain below 20,000 cP during powder induction. High viscosity planetary mixing As
viscosity continues to climb into the 1 million cP range, a multi-shaft mixer arrangement
will eventually fail to produce adequate material turnover. The logical solution is to utilize
agitators that move through the batch regardless of product flow characteristics. This is the
forte of planetary mixers. Double planetary mixers are well proven equipment for the
processing of highly viscous suspensions. They move batch material by rotating two
identical blades on their own axes as they orbit on a common axis. Most traditional double
planetary mixers utilize rectangular paddle blades which are capable of handling viscous
products up to 3 million cP. Newer helical planetary stirrers like the Ross High Viscosity
“HV” Blades extend the mixer’s viscosity range to 6 million cP or more. The double
planetary mixer operates at relatively low speeds and thus relies on high product viscosity
to impart shear and disintegrate any agglomerates in the batch. When working with
viscous materials in the range of 100,000 cP to around 2 million cP, a planetary disperser
may be more efficient in creating a fine suspension. The classic design consists of a
planetary stirrer and a high speed disperser that revolve on their own axes while orbiting
the vessel. Shear levels and flow patterns are easily fine-tuned because the agitators are
individually-controlled. More demanding applications benefit from two planetary stirrers
and two disperser shafts. The combined mixing action of these agitators is ideal for rapid
incorporation of large amounts of solids into a viscous vehicle with no risk of localized heat
build-up. Formulations that undergo a viscosity peak mid-processing, even if the final
viscosity is manageable in a multi-shaft mixer, are also ideal candidates for processing in a
planetary disperser.

Multi-viscosity mixing in a Triple-Shaft Mixer Mixer flexibility in terms of viscosity range Multi-shaft
mixers comprised of two or more independently-driven agitators working in tandem are well-known for
their wide ranging uses in multi-viscosity mixing applications. In such processes, the batch material
undergoes many changes in viscosity, perhaps starting out as a thin liquid that gradually becomes more
viscous with the addition of solid raw materials and/or lowering of temperature. Some applications will
reach a viscosity peak mid-processing and finish as a low-viscosity fluid. In all these stages, the mixer
must be capable of delivering good turnover and effective heat transfer, impart the required shear input
and quickly deaerate batch product, as necessary. Most multi-shaft mixer configurations consist of a low
speed anchor agitator which compliments one or two high speed devices, such as a sawtooth disc-style
disperser blade or a rotor/stator assembly. The disperser and rotor/stator are particularly effective at
fast powder wet-out, dispersion and particle or droplet size reduction. However, both designs are
inherently limited in terms of viscosity range. On its own, a disperser blade will produce acceptable flow
patterns for products up to 50,000 cP; the rotor/stator up to around 10,000 cP. The anchor agitator
therefore performs the crucial role of promoting bulk flow, encouraging viscous product to move
towards the high speed devices and constantly removing batch material from the vessel walls to
optimize heat transfer. In combination, all three agitators can handle formulations as high as a million
centipoise. Continued on page 2 TECHNOLOGY BRIEF: This bulletin provides a step-by-step look at a
typical multi-shaft mixer application which demonstrates the system’s processing flexibility in terms of
mixing, heating, cooling and deaerating batch material at different viscosity stages. Sample batch
procedure The following summary of a polymer dispersion test provides a step-by-step look at a typical
multi-shaft mixer application and a good indication of the flexibility possible with this type of mixer.
Mixer specs: 300-gallon Triple-Shaft Mixer with Three-Wing Anchor (max speed: 30 rpm), High Speed
Disperser (14” saw-tooth blade, max speed: 1,090 rpm) and High Shear Mixer (7” rotor and slotted
stator, max speed: 1,800 rpm) equipped with a powder injection manifold. All drives are independently
controlled and offer a 10:1 variable speed ratio. The mixer is equipped with a jacketed vessel as well as
Teflon scrapers on the anchor agitator. Phase 1, mixing: 150 gals. of base oil is added to the vessel and
heated to 350o F. The anchor is run at 25 rpm and as the liquid begins to warm, 300 lbs. of solid rubber
polymer is added to the mixer. The disperser is started at 1,090 rpm to initially reduce the solid particles
into smaller pieces that could flow through the stator openings of the high shear mixer. Once the
polymer has been broken down sufficiently, the rotor/stator is turned on to start the fine grinding
process. Soon, the batch reaches the target temperature and at this point, the rotor/stator is doing most
of the high shear work; the saw-tooth disperser blade is mainly contributing to batch circulation.
Meanwhile, the anchor is constantly moving material from the vessel perimeter to the interior where
the two high speed devices pull it into their localized flow patterns. Phase 2, powder injection and
deaeration: Using the powder injection manifold of the rotor/stator, the following raw materials are
then charged into the batch, sub-surface: 100 lbs. of fumed silica in about 5 minutes, 25 lbs. of carbon
black in 30 seconds, and 20 gals. of minor liquids in 15 seconds. Product viscosity is around 10,000 cP. To
complete this mixing phase, vacuum is pulled to 29.5”Hg and the batch is allowed to deaerate. Because
the material’s viscosity is strongly temperature-dependent, deaeration is most efficiently done during
this step – before the product cools in the following phase. Phase 3, cooling and final raw material
addition: The first step in this stage is to shut down the high shear mixer and reduce the disperser speed
to 110 rpm to minimize energy input. The anchor agitator, set at 20 rpm, continues to scrape the vessel
walls, hastening heat transfer between the batch material and the cooling liquid running in the jacket.
The rotor/stator is not run again in this cycle. This is for two reasons: intense shear is not required
anymore; and, with the batch temperature lowered by 180o F, viscosity will rise to 100,000 cP – beyond
the range of the rotor/stator, even with the added flow generated by the anchor agitator and disperser
blade. When the batch has cooled, 50 lbs. of a fine polymer solid is added to the vessel. The powder
injection system cannot be used at this viscosity so the polymer is charged directly to the batch surface
and vacuum is reestablished to deaerate the powder. The disperser is then set again to 1,090 rpm to
create a vortex for drawing the solid polymer into the batch. Phase 4, discharge: Vacuum is released and
the finished product is discharged through a flush tank valve while the anchor turns at 10 rpm. Scrapers
clean the vessel sidewalls and bottom as the product level falls. When discharge is complete, the walls
and bottom surfaces of the mix can have been scraped clean.