Stainless steel mixing tanks are essential equipment in various industries where different liquids or materials need to be mixed in large quantities. When you enter the world of industrial-grade food and beverages, the material, shape, and structure of the mixing vessel become very important. Whether your company specializes in brewing beer or processing food, we have all the different types of mixing tanks you need, easily sorted by material, shape, or wall type.
Wat is een mixing tank?
A mixing tank is a common piece of equipment found in industrial production. These tanks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials and are primarily used to mix and stir liquid or powdered materials. It is widely used in industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, coatings, and cosmetics. Mixing tanks can be made from a variety of different materials, including steel, plastic, glass, and even hard rubber.
An agitator is usually located inside the mixing tank to help with the mixing process. Some of these mixing tanks resemble large cement mixers because of the paddles on the side. The paddles collect the ingredients from the bottom of the mixing tank and deposit them on the top as the mixing tank rotates. Other mixers have a much larger agitator than the one on a hand mixer. The agitator rotates the ingredients while mixing air into the mixture.
Types of Mixing Tanks
Rectangular Mixing Tanks
Rectangular mixing tanks are usually designed with a flat bottom, which aids the mixing process and acts as a baffle at the bottom of the tank. This type of mixing tank design allows for a more efficient transfer of the power of the mixing group in the mixture. However, they can cause solid mixed products to stick to the edges, which is a problem for the volume of the mixing tank and the suspension of solids in the mixture. Rectangular mixing tanks are also more expensive to manufacture. They are suitable for liquid mixtures.
Cylindrical Mixing Tanks
Cylindrical mixing tanks are often referred to as a better design, even though they require the addition of baffles in the mixing vessel to prevent rotational motion or even vortexing of the mixed product. The location of the mixing group plays a vital role in preventing vortexing and placing the baffles in the right position of the mixing tank. The dished or conical bottom design of the mixing tank tends to prevent product sticking and utilize the mixing place more efficiently. The viscosity of the mixed product is also very important for the mixer vessel design and the requirements for the baffles. Cylindrical mixing tanks are a more economical solution in terms of manufacturing compared to rectangular mixing tanks, and they are more space-saving in facilities.
Advantages of Stainless Steel Mixing Tanks
Strongness
Stainless steel offers excellent durability and sturdiness compared to other materials such as glass, rubber, or plastic. Stainless steel can withstand the rigors of daily use on a beverage production line, and as the name suggests, this material is also resistant to rust and corrosion. Due to the resilience of this material, manufacturers can ensure that their tanks will last for years.
Corrosion Resistance
The elements that make up stainless steel and how they react to the surrounding environment make it highly resistant to corrosion. This is important when working with acidic chemicals, as it will corrode other metals faster and give your product an unpleasant metallic odor. Due to the adverse effects of this corrosion, stainless steel tanks are a good investment not only when processing your product, but also when storing it.
Good Hygiene
Even if your product does not come into contact with rust, it can develop some unpleasant flavors. If you do not keep your tanks clean, the flavor of your product will deteriorate; therefore, it is important to use a material that can be quickly sanitized. Stainless steel does not corrode and can be used with a wider range of cleaning agents, making it not only easy to clean but also extremely adaptable.
High-temperature resistance
Stainless steel materials can withstand higher temperatures and are suitable for production processes that require heating or high-temperature processing. They are not easily deformed or failed, ensuring long-term stable operation of the equipment.
Application of stainless steel mixing tanks
The application range of mixing tanks in various industries has greatly increased, and stainless steel has become a popular choice in industries such as food and industry due to its many advantages.
- Food and beverage industry: Mixing tanks are used to mix different ingredients to make products such as sauces, condiments, and beverages.
- Pharmaceutical industry: These equipment are indispensable in the manufacturing process of pharmaceuticals, which requires precise mixing and formulation of different chemicals to meet safety and quality standards.
- Chemical industry: This is another example of an industry that benefits from mixing tanks. They are used to mix different chemicals to make products such as detergents, adhesives, and paints.
- Cosmetic industry: Mixing tanks can also help mix a large number of different ingredients to make creams, lotions, shampoos, and other cosmetics.
How to choose a mixing tank?
Material selection of mixing tank
- Stainless steel: good corrosion resistance, high strength, easy to clean, and high-temperature resistance. Widely used in food processing, pharmaceutical, chemical industry, and other fields with high hygiene requirements. Stainless steel is usually divided into different grades, such as 304 and 316, for different chemical environments and temperature conditions.
- Glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP, glass fiber reinforced plastic): lightweight, corrosion resistance, good insulation, and high freedom of shape. Mainly used in occasions with high corrosion resistance requirements but no need to withstand extremely high pressure, such as sewage treatment, environmental protection facilities, and some chemical storage tanks.
- Carbon steel: high strength and relatively low cost. Suitable for general industrial applications, such as paint, pigment, water treatment, and other fields. But carbon steel is easy to rust and needs to be coated with anti-corrosion or regularly maintained.
- Plastic: lightweight, corrosion resistance, non-conductive, and low cost. Used for storage of some chemicals and lighter industrial mixing applications, such as chemical delivery, small-scale laboratory use, etc. Common plastic materials include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc.
Mixing tank shape selection
Mixing tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its advantages, depending on your operation. Tanks are available in either rectangular or cylindrical shapes. Rectangular or square prismatic tanks are most commonly used for all-liquid mixtures that do not require any solid suspension. Cylindrical tanks are more widely used because they are better suited for solid suspension, and drainage, and take up less space. Unlike rectangular tanks, you must install baffles in cylindrical tanks to optimize mixing efficiency.
Among cylindrical tanks, you can also find tanks with different bottoms, namely sloping bottoms, dish bottoms, and cone bottoms. There are also flat-bottomed tanks, but they have inefficient drainage and are therefore less efficient. While all of these types of tanks are suitable for drainage, cone bottoms offer the highest drainage efficiency. For solid suspensions, dish bottoms are considered the most efficient.
Agitator positioning
The location of the agitator within the vessel is an important aspect that should not be underestimated. As you can easily imagine, the best mounting point for each agitator depends on the shape and size of the vessel (cylindrical, rectangular, cubic), the height of the propeller relative to the tank bottom, and the shape of the lower part of the tank (flat, round, or conical). Sometimes, in small vessels, to overcome the inconvenience of tangential flow, as an alternative to baffles, agitators are mounted eccentrically or obliquely. However, these solutions only partially prevent the liquid from rotating and can easily lead to high hydraulic loads, which may cause shaft vibration or unbalanced operation.
Mixing tank mixing method selection
- A paddle agitator is one of the most common and basic mixing devices. It usually consists of several paddles or blades, mounted on a shaft and fixed in the mixing tank. Paddle agitators push the material up and down and around by rotating, thereby achieving the effect of mixing and stirring. Suitable for low to medium-viscosity liquids and some powder materials.
- Spiral agitators consist of spiral-shaped blades, usually mounted on a vertical shaft. The main function of the spiral agitator is to push the material along the axis direction to achieve the effect of stirring and mixing. Suitable for high-viscosity materials and more viscous mixtures.
- The structure of the turbine agitator is similar to that of a fan, and its blade design can produce both horizontal flow and up and down flow. Turbine agitators are suitable for larger mixing tanks and situations where higher speed mixing is required, such as liquid mixing in large industrial mixing tanks.
- High-shear mixers usually use multiple high-speed rotating blades or spiral blades to quickly shear and mix materials in a short time. Suitable for applications that require precise and uniform mixing and dispersion, such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical preparations, etc.
- Pneumatic mixers use compressed air to drive the stirring device to rotate and transfer energy to the material in the mixing tank. Pneumatic mixers are often used for flammable, explosive, corrosive materials or in situations where safe operation is required in a specific environment.
Choosing the right mixing tank for your product requires considering factors such as boring characteristics and process to ensure that the equipment can meet the needs of the production process. If you don’t know how to choose the right mixing tank for your material, you can consult the Micet Groep. Our professional engineers will provide you with customized services and solution design to ensure that you can complete the mixing process smoothly.