Effect of axial and radial powder mixing on chemical homogeneity and agglomeration

A uniform Powder mixture is important for product consistency and quality. Therefore, it is important to optimize the mixing conditions, which include fill ratio, rotational speed, and time, in order to achieve a powder mixture with a high degree of mixedness without aggregates. Chemical segregation and agglomeration within the powder mix can be assessed quantitatively using a 'freezing" technique which holds the powder particles in place with minimal disruption of their positions. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Taguchi analysis, the effect of mixing orientation on the uniformity of the mixture. and the effect of mixing parameters on uniformity in the axial and radial directions. were investigated. Based on the statistical analysis, rotational speed and volume-fill ratio are the predominant processing parameters in axial and radial mixing, respectively. Axial and radial mixing give the same number of mean particles per aggregate.