Mixing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944944-B2
Application number	US-201816760768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2017
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A mixing apparatus includes a mixer configured to mix a material including a rubber or a resin in the presence of a working fluid that is in a supercritical state or a subcritical state. The mixer includes a chamber that forms a flow passage for the working fluid and the material, and a mixing blade disposed in the chamber and fixed to the chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mixing apparatus comprising a mixer configured to mix a material including a rubber or a resin in the presence of a working fluid that is in a supercritical state or a subcritical state,
wherein the mixer comprises:
a chamber that forms a flow passage for the working fluid and the material;
a mixing blade disposed in the chamber and fixed to the chamber,
a mixer entrance pressure gauge configured to detect a pressure within an entrance-side portion of the mixer;
a mixer exit pressure gauge configured to detect a pressure within an exit-side portion of the mixer;
a mixer entrance thermometer configured to detect a temperature within an entrance-side portion of the mixer; and
a mixer exit thermometer configured to detect a temperature within an exit-side portion of the mixer, and
wherein the mixer is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so that the material goes down from an upstream side to a downstream side of the mixer.

2. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a separator provided downstream of the mixer and configured to separate the working fluid from the material.

3. The mixing apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising a pressure adjustment valve configured to adjust a degree of opening of a flow passage through which the working fluid separated from the material is to pass.

4. The mixing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the separator comprises an opening portion configured to intermittently eject the material from which the working fluid has been separated.

5. The mixing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the separator comprises an opening portion configured to intermittently eject the material from which the working fluid has been separated.

6. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a degree-of-opening adjustment valve configured to adjust a degree of opening of a flow passage through which the working fluid and the material ejected from the mixer are to pass.

7. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control a differential pressure between the pressure detected by the mixer entrance pressure gauge and the pressure detected by the mixer exit pressure gauge so that the differential pressure falls within a prescribed range.

8. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixer comprises:
a mid-mixer pressure gauge configured to detect a pressure at a portion located downstream of the mixer entrance pressure gauge and upstream of the mixer exit pressure gauge; and
a mid-mixer thermometer configured to detect a temperature at a portion located downstream of the mixer entrance thermometer and upstream of the mixer exit thermometer.

9. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixer comprises a mixing acceleration member, and
wherein the mixing acceleration member is fixed to the chamber, blocks a part of the flow passage in the chamber, and is provided separately from the mixing blade.

10. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a sectional area of the chamber as viewed from an axial direction varies depending on a position in the axial direction.

11. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a line obtained by connecting centers of cross sections, as viewed from an axial direction of the chamber, of the chamber is shaped like a curved line or a polygonal line.

12. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixing blades are arranged at intervals in an axial direction of the chamber.

13. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixer comprises a heater configured to heat inside the chamber.

14. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixer comprises a cooler configured to cool inside the chamber.

15. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary mixer disposed downstream of the mixer and configured to exert a pressure that is higher than atmospheric pressure on the material.

16. The mixing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a pump configured to send out the working fluid to the mixer,
wherein a rotation speed of the pump is inverter-controlled.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Higashi Kosuke
• Fukutani Kazuhisa

Classifications

• B01F25/4314 Primary

  with helical baffles · CPC title

• B01F35/2113

  Pressure · CPC title

• B01F35/2115

  Temperature · CPC title

• B01F35/2213

  Pressure · CPC title

• B01F35/93

  arranged inside the receptacle · CPC title