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What Is the Difference Between Chemical Blending and Chemical Mixing?

Chemical blending and chemical mixing are chemical processes which create a new chemical by combining different raw material / base chemicals. Both terms are used interchangeably but there are some technical differences. Additionally, they are the most demanding operations in the chemical processing industries. Both processes combine different ingredients, which have applications across various industries, cosmetic, plastic, wood, and pharmaceutical.

Chemical Blending

This is a process which combines different ingredients and result obtained is the chemical compound with its unique properties. The chemical thus formed cannot be moulded back into its primary segments because it is blended uniformly and permanently. Liquids or solids are blended to produce new material. This process is associated with mixing solid-solid or bulk solids with little quantity of liquid. Liquid chemical blending packaging services include bulk rail, pails, drums, and bottles.

Chemical blending services include custom powder chemical blending, private label packaging, and chemical warehousing.

Applications

Chemicals that are blended:

    • Cleaning chemicals (hand soap, dish soap, CIP, detergents, germicidals, etc.)
    • Fertilizers
    • Liquid and powdered detergents
    • Automotive coolants and washes
    • Soaps and cosmetics

Reasons to blend chemicals

  • Creates new chemicals and compounds through multiple base materials
  • The material can be created through blending if not able to manufacture commercially.
  • These chemicals can be labeled under your own branding.
  • It can be used to improve the quality of materials, disperse liquids and fuse materials.
  • To include specific properties in each blending formulation for the end product to be successful in application
  • Used for combining organic and inorganic chemicals, adjust the viscosity of substances and pH of elements.

Tools used for blending

It is important that the manufacturing process is done correctly. The blenders used in chemical processes are:

    • Cone blender
    • Hydraulic blender
    • Ribbon blender
    • Tumble blender
    • Paddle blender
    • Vertical blender

Benefits of using a chemical blending

  • Used to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety
  • Custom blends can help to reduce material storage
  • Eliminates wastage associated with disposable materials
  • Custom blends reduce the risk linked with handling, storing and disposing of hazardous materials.
  • Will gain expertise in liquid filling and chemical packaging
  • Eliminates the scope for human error
  • Ensure batches are quality assured and consistent
  • Save time, efforts, transportation costs and inventory

Chemical Mixing

This process combines different ingredients to create one chemical, however, a mixed chemical will separate over time, and the original materials will be separated back into their original forms.. Some examples of mixing can include processes such as dry blending, paste mixing, emulsification and particle size reduction.

Chemical mixing process includes:

  • Solids suspension
  • Gas Dispersion
  • Emulsions
  • Liquid mixing
  • Dissolving solids
  • Dispersions

Characteristics of mixture

  • There is a little or zero energy changes in the formation of a mixture
  • Substances can be separated with methods such as distillation, filtration, and freezing.
  • The mixture has variable compositions

Chemical mixing methods

The mixing process is determined by the flow rate of liquid which determines what part of an additive is soluble into the system.

1. Laminar Flow:

It is the least effective mixing method and is used in magnetic stirring and food mixers. It is the flow where liquid undergoing mixing flows in layers. These can be uniform or non-uniform. In this type of mixing the velocity of the fluid is consistent at any time. This type of mixing is not always effective.

2. Turbulent Flow:

This type of mixing is useful for the mixing of reactants and solubilization and it allows the components to mix in the vessel. This flow occurs at a much higher speed because the energy needed to break the interface is high. The velocity of the fluid is not constant at every stage. The stage where the flow becomes hard is defined by the Reynolds number.

3. Reynolds number:

It is a dimensionless value used to determine the flow models in a liquid. This number combines the parameters of the dynamic viscosity, the fluid’s density, and velocity.

4. Bulk mixers:

They come in varying sizes. With these mixers, the flow rate of the mixing method usually defines the kind of flow inside the container.

Steps for better mixing

  • An understanding of fluid flow, equipment’s production, and manufacturing requirements.  This operation involves liquid-liquid mixing, solid-liquid mixing, and liquid gas mixing
  • The mixing characteristics influence product quality and efficiency.
  • Knowing the differences in requirements for liquid-liquid mixing are different from liquid-solid mixing and liquid-gas mixing.

 

Please feel free to reach out to Allied International Specialty Chemicals to ask us about our experience and focus on quality with custom liquid and powder blending processes.

on 29 March, 2024 3:19 PM
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