Conclusion

The physical phenomena that control the mixing of two-phase systems need to be understood and mastered in order to ensure correct operation results. These phenomena are the major constraints on the process. They are controlled not only by operating conditions, but also to a large extent by agitation technologies. The wrong choice of equipment can quickly lead not just to a reduction in performance, but to total failure of the operation. The existence of numerous dispersion regimes makes these systems particularly sensitive and potentially not very robust. Before scaling up to production size, we strongly recommend a pilot stage equipped with the same agitators, but avoiding too small volumes, as the limiting phenomena are not identical. Finally, while the stirred tank remains the benchmark for stirring two-phase systems, the question arises as to whether certain operations should be carried...