The effect of particle shape on mixing in a high shear mixer

Discrete element method modelling is used to study the effect of particle shape on the flow dynamics and mixing in a high shear mixer. The blade generates strong flow over its top surface while compacting and pushing forward particles that are directly in front of the blade. A complex three dimensional flow is established with vertical and radial flow components that are shape dependent and which control the nature of the mixing. Mixing was found to be fast in the azimuthal direction, of intermediate speed in the vertical direction and comparatively slow in the radial mixing. Diffusive mixing is characterised using the granular temperature which shows that the regions of higher granular temperature are larger for round particles than non-round ones leading to stronger diffusive mixing. The spatial distribution of the convective component of mixing is identified using novel calculation of shear strain rate. This size and shape of the high shear region is found to be only slightly sensitive to the particle shape indicating that the convective mixing is relatively independent of shape, except in the middle of the mixer. The blockiness of the particles has the strongest impact on flow and mixing while the mixing has only a weak dependence on the particle aspect ratio.