Comparative performance of in-line rotor-stators for deagglomeration processes

Abstract In-line rotor-stators are used for a wide range of power intensive dispersion applications, including the breakup of immiscible liquid droplets or agglomerates. This study, performed within the DOMINO project at BHR Group, aimed at studying the performance of three different rotor-stator head designs for deagglomeration processes. A given test system, nanoscale silica particles-in-water, was used to identify the mechanism and kinetics of break-up and determine the smallest attainable size. Three rotor-stator head designs used were the GPDH-SQHS and EMSC screens from Silverson and Ytron Z-Lab from Ytron. These in-line rotor-stators were used in the recirculation loop of a stirred tank with a total dispersion volume of 100 l. Power input and residence time were varied by changing the rotor speed and dispersion flow rate. Breakup was found to occur through erosion regardless of the operating conditions or rotor-stator design. The smalleachieves a higher fraction of finesst fragments obtained were aggregates, rather than primary particles, and these were of a mean diameter of 150–200 nm; also independent of the operating conditions or rotor-stator head design. With a given rotor-stator operated at a given flow rate, increasing the rotor speed and hence the power input increased the break up kinetics. For a given design at a given specific power input, whilst the break up rate per tank turnover decreased when the flow rate was increased, the total processing time could be reduced. There were differences in the volume of the mixer head and chamber volumes; in addition, a smaller flow rate range could be covered with the Ytron design. Comparison of the different designs was therefore not straightforward. It could however be shown that the rotor-stator designs with a high number and small size of holes and/or gaps have a faster break up rate.