2024/02/07 by Chrysoula Bliatsiou, Robert P. Panckow, Lucas Nolte +3 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Engineering · #Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques #Coagulation and Flocculation Studies #Materials Engineering and Processing
paper · doi:10.1016/j.ces.2024.119853
openalex publication_date 2024/02/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/03/27
The study aims at utilising the clay floc system and methods of Panckow et al., 2023, Waldherr et al., 2023 to characterise the hydrodynamic stress acting on particles in a lab-scale stirred tank reactor. The effect of the flocculation phase on steady-state characteristics, as well as the system’s reversibility are examined. Conventional and non-conventional impeller types and varying impeller geometrical features are investigated regarding their breakage intensity. The median floc size, the characteristics of the particle size distributions and the floc shape analysis provide a comprehensive characterisation of the various impellers in terms of stress intensity and breakage mechanism. Radial-flow impellers are beneficial for applications with stress-sensitive particles. Studies of the authors’ research group with different particle systems (emulsion and filamentous fungi) were used to compare the results extensively. A modelling attempt based on literature correlations indicates the maximum energy dissipation rate as the primary physical cause behind the breakage at this reactor scale.