The mixing of powders and granular materials is decisive for the quality of a final product. Simulations of granular mixing via discrete element method are performed. Mixing was done in a vertical cylindrical mixer with two opposed flat blades with 90°rake angle. The effects of packed-bed depth and blade rotational speed on the process of homogenization and on the development of flow patterns were evaluated. The process of homogenization was analyzed at macroscopic scale by global mixing indexes and at microscopic scale by the complex flow patterns with different nature. Macroscopic and microscopic approaches were connected and from flow pattern observation optimal conditions for the best homogenization were predicted.
The handling and processing of powders and granular materials can be crucial for the quality of a final product. Therefore, a detailed description and analysis of granular flow phenomena from first principles is very valuable. In the present study, simulations of granular mixing and segregation of binary‐sized mixtures using a discrete element method were performed for horizontal rotating drum mixers. Numerical results were compared with experimental measurements and significant agreement between both approaches was found. The development of specific flow patterns was observed. The formation of these complex spatiotemporal patterns is influenced by the size of the mixer, the aspect ratio of length to diameter, the rotational speed of the drum, and the initial distribution of the particles.
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