Scale-Up of Lubricant Mixing Process by Using V-Type Blender Based on Discrete Element Method

Abstract

A method for scale-up of a lubricant mixing process in a V-type blender was proposed. Magnesium stearate was used for the lubricant, and the lubricant mixing experiment was conducted using three scales of V-type blenders (1.45, 21 and 130 L) under the same fill level and Froude (Fr) number. However, the properties of lubricated mixtures and tablets could not correspond with the mixing time or the total revolution number. To find the optimum scale-up factor, discrete element method (DEM) simulations of three scales of V-type blender mixing were conducted, and the total travel distance of particles under the different scales was calculated. The properties of the lubricated mixture and tablets obtained from the scale-up experiment were well correlated with the mixing time determined by the total travel distance. It was found that a scale-up simulation based on the travel distance of particles is valid for the lubricant mixing scale-up processes.

Effect of Mixer Type on Particle Coating by Magnesium Stearate for Friction and Adhesion Modification

“…These include the evaluation of the performance of various mixer types, assessment of mixing time and operational scale, operating conditions, the optimal amount of flow aids, and the development of models [ 5 , 12 , 22 , 23 ]. Horibe et al [ 24 ] recently assessed the effect of mixing time and the concentration of flow aids on the flow properties of the end product. They found that the mixing time has a higher correlation to the flow properties than the concentration of flow aids, signifying the importance of the process and mixing conditions in improving the flow behaviour of a particulate system.…”