March 2003
From National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Gas and liquid won’t mix? New NIST device may be the answer One can broadly consider mixing as a process by which individual components in a container are made homogeneous, such as blending whipped cream and chocolate to make cake filling. Mixing in industry, however, often can be more difficult. For example, mixing a gas into a liquid traditionally has been a complicated procedure.Now, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientist Thomas J. Bruno and technician Michael Rybowiak have developed a new device to simplify this important process. A magnetically coupled entraining ("to carry along in a current") rotor, developed for a measurement program in support of the gas industry, is the basis for the innovation. Bruno and Rybowiak found that their rotor can mix gas into liquids in a matter of seconds, whereas previous devices often take hours. The new mixer has been used for chemical reactions and extractions, in addition to the gas industry measurements. In one case, a postdoctoral associate on the NIST research team, Wendy C. Andersen, used the device to help extract heavy metals from water, an application with important environmental implications. The research team will continue to develop new applications for the mixer. A description of the mixer has been published (Fluid Phase Equilibria, Vol. 178, pgs. 271-276, 2001), and Bruno and Rybowiak have a patent pending on the device. For more information, contact Bruno at 303-497-5158 or [email protected]. | |