TWI877878B - Dispersing and mixing device and dispersing and mixing method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Topic] The topic of the present invention is to provide a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method that can effectively and uniformly disperse liquid and powder in the dispersing and mixing step of powder and liquid and efficiently produce. [Solution] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method are provided. The above-mentioned dispersing and mixing device is characterized by having: an erosion generating part that causes erosion in the liquid; and a tank that has a space that can store the erosion generating part inside, and the erosion generating part generates erosion in a state of being completely immersed in the liquid inside the tank. According to the invention, in the mixing of powder and liquid, powder and liquid can be effectively and uniformly dispersed, and in particular, slurries of high concentration, high viscosity, difficult-to-disperse materials, etc. can be stably and efficiently produced.

Description

Dispersing and mixing device and dispersing and mixing method

The present invention relates to a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method that can efficiently achieve a uniform dispersion state in the preparation of a slurry that is a mixture of powder and liquid.

The dispersion and mixing device that mixes powder and liquid as raw materials, disperses, dissolves or suspends to adjust the mixture of solid particles and liquid, i.e. slurry, is used in various manufacturing fields such as lithium-ion battery electrode materials, coating materials, nanofiber dispersion composite materials, cosmetics such as emulsions, medicines such as ointments, and foods.

In the mixing of powders and liquids, in addition to various types of mixers such as planetary mixers and twin-shaft mixers, dispersion devices that mix while transferring powders or liquids are also widely known.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a slurry mixer for battery electrodes, which mixes liquid materials and powder materials in a container having a low-speed stirring body and a high-speed stirring body.

[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-518969

As described in Patent Document 1, the invention discusses the efficient and effective mixing of powder and liquid by minimizing the rotation load by simplifying the structure of the high-speed stirring body as much as possible and significantly shortening the stirring time of the slurry.

On the other hand, according to the inventors' understanding, even if the above-mentioned apparatus, method and system are used, in the combination of powders that are difficult to disperse or difficult to dissolve in liquids, or in the preparation of high-concentration, high-viscosity slurries, the homogeneity (quality) of the mixture (slurry) may not always be sufficient to meet the required level, and it is desired to establish a more effective and efficient uniform dispersion mechanism.

Therefore, the subject of the present invention is to provide a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method, wherein, in the dispersing and mixing step of powder and liquid, the powder and liquid can be effectively and evenly dispersed, and in particular, slurries of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials can be produced stably and efficiently.

As a result of painstaking research on the above-mentioned topic, the inventors found that by setting a gas erosion generating section for generating gas erosion in the liquid in the tank for mixing powder and liquid, the powder and liquid can be effectively and evenly dispersed, and high-quality slurry can be produced stably and efficiently, thus completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention is a powder and liquid dispersion mixing device and dispersion mixing method characterized by the following.

The dispersing and mixing device of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is characterized by having: an erosion generating part for generating erosion in the liquid; and a tank having a space capable of storing the erosion generating part inside, and the erosion generating part generates erosion in a state of being completely immersed in the liquid inside the tank.

According to this feature, the erosion generating part is completely immersed in the liquid and driven without the gas being drawn in from the outside, thereby continuously and stably generating erosion in the liquid in the tank. In addition, due to the micro bubbles generated by the generation of erosion, the agglomerates in the powder are continuously dispersed, so effective and efficient dispersion and mixing can be performed. In this way, a slurry with excellent homogeneity can be obtained. In particular, slurries with high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials can be produced stably and efficiently.

In addition, as an embodiment of the dispersion mixing device of the present invention, it is characterized in that the erosion generating part has a dispersion blade that generates erosion by the rotation drive of the rotor, and the rotor rotates at a circumferential speed of more than 15m/s.

According to this feature, by rotating the dispersion blade at a sufficient and appropriate circumferential speed, the dispersion blade itself stirs the slurry and generates a negative pressure attraction force that sucks the liquid into the dispersion blade side. In addition, erosion can be stably generated on the rear side of the rotation direction of the dispersion blade (the back side of the dispersion blade). In this way, strong erosion generation can be performed efficiently and continuously, so more effective and efficient dispersion mixing can be performed, and slurry with excellent homogeneity can be obtained.

In addition, as an embodiment of the dispersing and mixing device of the present invention, it is characterized by having: a stator, which is arranged close to the rotor and has a hole, and the slurry is applied with shear force through the gap between the dispersing blades and the stator.

Based on this feature, in addition to the above-mentioned erosion effect, a slurry with better homogeneity can be obtained through the mixing and dispersion effect based on shear force.

In addition, as an embodiment of the dispersing and mixing device of the present invention, it is characterized by having: a first main shaft, which is inserted into the aforementioned tank from the upper part of the tank; a stirring blade, which is arranged on the aforementioned first main shaft; and a second main shaft, which is inserted coaxially with the first main shaft, and a rotor and a dispersing blade are arranged at the front end of the second main shaft.

Based on this feature, the stirring blades return to the bottom of the tank and the slurry that rises along the inner wall of the tank due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor and the dispersion wings is circulated in the tank, continuously and repeatedly generating erosion and applying shear force, thereby efficiently obtaining a more homogeneous slurry.

Furthermore, according to this feature, by arranging the plurality of main shafts serving as the rotating shafts in a coaxial manner in the vertical direction of the tank, it is easy to select a shaft seal portion with less leakage to the outside as the shaft seal portion. In this way, the contact between the powder and liquid in the tank and the atmosphere outside the tank can be suppressed, and the slurry can be stably produced regardless of the properties of the powder or liquid.

In addition, as an embodiment of the dispersing and mixing device of the present invention, the slurry is introduced from above the erosion generating part arranged at the bottom of the tank by negative pressure and moved by convection.

Based on this feature, the negative pressure attraction generated by the rotation of the dispersion blades quickly sucks the slurry back to the erosion generation part at the bottom of the tank and performs liquid circulation. In this way, erosion generation and shear force can be repeated more efficiently, and a more homogeneous slurry can be obtained efficiently.

Furthermore, the dispersion mixing method of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is characterized by comprising: an erosion generation step, which is to cause erosion in the liquid, and in the erosion generation step, erosion is generated in a state where the liquid is completely immersed in the liquid in the tank, in a tank having an inlet for introducing liquid and powder and a space capable of performing the erosion generation step.

According to this feature, the erosion generation step is completely immersed in the liquid, and the erosion is driven without the gas being drawn in from the outside, thereby stably and continuously generating erosion in the liquid in the tank. In addition, due to the expansion and contraction of the tiny bubbles generated by the erosion generation, the agglomerates in the powder are continuously dispersed, so effective and efficient dispersion and mixing can be performed. In this way, a slurry with excellent homogeneity can be obtained. In particular, slurries with high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials can be produced stably and efficiently.

According to the present invention, a dispersing and mixing device and a dispersing and mixing method can be provided, wherein in the mixing of powder and liquid, the powder and liquid can be effectively and evenly dispersed, and in particular, slurries of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials can be produced stably and efficiently.

1: Dispersion mixing device

2: Mixing section

21: Stirring blades

22: 1st main axis

3: Slot

31: Liquid inlet

32: Powder inlet

4: Erosion generation section

41: Shell

42: Dispersion Wing

42a: 1st dispersion wing

42b: Second dispersion wing

43: Rotor

43a: Rotor 1

43b: Rotor 2

431b: Funnel-shaped part

432b: Annular flat plate

44: Second main axis

45: Stator

46: Gap retaining member

L:Liquid

P: Powder

S: Slurry

M1,M2: drive motor

[Figure 1] is a schematic diagram of a dispersing and mixing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] is a schematic diagram (side view) showing the structure of the erosion generating section of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 3] is a schematic diagram (top view) showing the structure of the erosion generating section of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 4] is a schematic diagram showing the upwardly arranged dispersion blades and the fluid movement path in the dispersion mixing device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 5] is a schematic diagram showing the downwardly arranged dispersion blades and the fluid movement path in the dispersion mixing device of the embodiment of the present invention.

Below, with reference to the drawings, the implementation of the dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method of the present invention is described in detail. The dispersing method in the present invention is replaced by the description of the operation of the dispersing and mixing device in the present invention.

In addition, the dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method described in the implementation method are merely exemplified to illustrate the dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method of the present invention and are not limited thereto.

The dispersing and mixing device in the present invention can be any device for mixing powder and liquid, and the processing content related to mixing can be any of dissolving or suspending the powder in the liquid. Therefore, the mixture obtained by the dispersing and mixing device in the present invention is in the form of liquid or slurry.

Furthermore, the dispersing and mixing device of the present invention can be widely used in industrial fields that utilize the mixing of powders and liquids. As an example of such a field, for example, the preparation of components for industrial products of nanomaterial dispersion materials, the manufacture of cosmetics such as emulsions, medicines such as ointments, and foods, etc. can be cited. In particular, it can be suitable for the manufacture of various products that are usually handled in combinations of powders and liquids that are prone to problems such as high concentration, high viscosity, poor dispersion, or aggregation.

As the powder in the present invention, active substances (positive electrode active substances and negative electrode active substances) or solid electrolytes, binders, etc. known as electrode materials for secondary batteries can be cited. In addition, inorganic powders such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, graphene, mica, talc, alumina, silica, zeolite, ceramics, metal or metal oxide powders, and various organic powders used in cellulose nanofibers, medicines, cosmetics, foods, etc. can be cited. In addition, a single type of powder raw material can be used, or multiple types of powder raw materials can be used.

Furthermore, as described later, the dispersion mixing device and the dispersion mixing method of the present invention can also effectively block contact with the outside (air) during mixing. Therefore, the powder of the present invention can also generally handle substances that are difficult to handle because they produce harmful gases or cause ignition due to reactions with moisture or oxygen in the atmosphere.

As the liquid in the present invention, any liquid can be mixed with the above-mentioned powder to form a mixture, and there is no particular limitation. For example, as a liquid, in addition to water and aqueous solvents, non-aqueous solvents (inorganic solvents/organic solvents) can also be cited. The type of liquid can be appropriately selected according to the function or property required as the final mixture and the combination with the powder. As an organic solvent, methanol, ethanol, hexane, toluene, benzene, DMSO, DMF and other organic solvents, oils such as paraffin oil can be cited, and as an inorganic solvent, silicone oil can be cited. In addition, a single type of liquid can be used, and multiple liquids can be mixed and used.

[Dispersion mixing device]

FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a dispersing and mixing device 1 in an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG1 , the dispersing and mixing device 1 has a tank 3 and an erosion generating section 4. In addition, as the dispersing and mixing device 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable to set the stirring section 2 in the tank 3 separately from the erosion generating section 4.

In addition, the dispersing mixing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of the dispersing mixing device 1 in this embodiment, and is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 1 .

In the dispersing and mixing device 1 of this embodiment, powder P and liquid L are added into the tank 3, and the erosion generating part 4 and the stirring part 2 are used to disperse and mix the powder P and liquid L in the tank 3, thereby obtaining a slurry S.

The following describes the details of each structure.

<slot>

Tank 3 is a container for storing powder P and liquid L as raw materials, and has a space for storing the gas erosion generating part 4 for preparing slurry S.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the tank 3 in this embodiment can be provided with a liquid inlet 31 and a powder inlet 32 at the bottom thereof, in which the erosion generating part 4 is stored in a state of being completely immersed in the liquid L.

The tank 3 can be a container with enough space for dispersing and mixing the powder P and the liquid L, and the specific shape and structure are not particularly limited. However, the slurry S as a mixture will not be retained in a part of the tank 3 during operation, and a structure that is easy to circulate convection at the bottom is preferred. For example, the cylindrical and ball-bottomed shape shown in Figure 1 can be preferably used.

As the material of the groove 3, it is preferable to use a material that does not react with the liquid L and powder P (hereinafter collectively referred to as "material") used and is not corroded. Specifically, SUS and containers with corrosion-resistant glass lining can be cited. In addition, in order to prevent the material from adhering to the surface, the inner surface of the groove 3 can be coated with a liquid-repellent material.

The powder P before mixing may react with moisture or oxygen in the atmosphere to produce harmful substances or cause ignition, depending on the type. Therefore, the tank 3 is expected to be a sealed structure.

The liquid inlet 31 is an inlet for introducing the liquid L for mixing into the tank 3. A storage tank for storing the liquid L and a flow meter for measuring and controlling the amount of liquid introduced can be provided above the liquid inlet 31. In addition, when preparing the slurry, in order to adjust (stop) the supply to the tank 3 after a predetermined amount of liquid L is introduced, it is desirable to have a valve capable of opening and closing operations.

The powder introduction port 32 is an inlet for introducing the powder P for mixing into the tank 3. A powder feeder for supplying the powder P and a powder input part with a hopper and a load cell can be provided above the powder introduction port 32. In addition, when preparing the slurry, in order to adjust (stop) the supply to the tank 3 after a predetermined amount of powder P is added, it is desirable to have a cover that can be opened and closed.

<Erosion generation section>

The erosion generating unit 4 has the function of generating erosion in the liquid L. Thus, tiny bubbles are generated in the liquid L, and the agglomerates in the powder P are continuously dispersed, enabling effective and efficient dispersion and mixing.

Here, if the erosion generating part 4 is driven in a form of rolling in gas from the outside of the erosion generating part 4, the erosion generation in the liquid L is likely to become insufficient. Therefore, the erosion generating part 4 must generate erosion in a state of being completely immersed in the liquid L inside the groove 3. Therefore, it is preferable that the erosion generating part 4 is parallel to the bottom surface of the groove 3 and is arranged near the bottom of the groove 3.

FIG2 is a schematic diagram (side view) showing an example of the structure of the erosion generating section 4 in the dispersion mixing device 1 of the present embodiment. In addition, the arrows in FIG2 represent the movement path of the fluid (material).

FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of the erosion generating section 4 in the dispersion mixing device 1 of the present embodiment (a top view viewed from the A-A direction of FIG2 ).

As the erosion generating section 4 in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a plurality of dispersion wings 42 are arranged on the circumference inside the housing 41, and a rotor 43 is provided for rotational driving. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the rotor 43 is rotated by the main shaft (second main shaft 44) through the drive motor M2 (also refer to Figs. 4 and 5 described later).

In addition, as the erosion generating part 4 in this embodiment, a stator 45 having a concentric ring shape and a hole portion is arranged concentrically with the rotor 43.

The following describes the various structures of the erosion generating section 4.

The housing 41 is a space in which the rotor 43, the dispersion wing 42, and the stator 45 are arranged. The shape of the housing 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in FIG2 and FIG3, it can be a bottomed cylinder having an outer peripheral wall and a bottom portion, and a slit or hole-shaped opening for introducing/discharging the slurry S in the bottom portion and the outer peripheral wall (side surface) as needed.

The rotor 43 is a disc-shaped rotating structure with a dispersion wing 42, and generates erosion on the back of the dispersion wing 42 by rotating at high speed.

The rotor 43 in this embodiment is configured at the front end of the second main shaft 44 which serves as a rotating shaft, and is connected to the drive motor M2 via the main shaft 44 to perform high-speed rotation.

At this time, a mechanical seal is provided as a shaft seal mechanism (shaft seal part) of the rotating shaft (second main shaft 44) that becomes a drive shaft, and it is preferred that the mechanical seal compresses the air to become non-contact. In this way, the deterioration of the shaft seal part caused by the rotation drive (sliding) is suppressed, and the dispersion mixing in the tank 3 is easily and stably continued.

Here, the second main shaft 44 is preferably inserted coaxially with the first main shaft 22 for rotating the stirring blade 21 in the stirring section 2 described later. In addition, it is desirable that the rotation direction of the stirring blade 21 and the rotation direction of the dispersion blade 42 are set to be opposite to each other. This is because the stirring efficiency of the slurry S in the tank 3 is improved by making the direction in which the slurry S is scattered in the tank 3 by the rotation of the dispersion blade 42 opposite to the rotation direction in which the stirring blade receives it and returns it to the bottom of the tank 3, and the liquid feeding circulation to the bottom of the tank 3 is promoted.

The lower limit of the rotational circumferential speed of the rotor 43 can be set to 15m/s or more, preferably 35m/s or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the rotational circumferential speed of the rotor 43 can be set to 50m/s or less. If the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is too low, erosion of sufficient strength will not be generated on the back of the dispersion wing 42. On the other hand, if the circumferential speed of the rotor 43 is too high, the centrifugal force generated is too strong and the momentum of the slurry dispersion in the circumferential direction becomes too strong, and it cannot be supplied in time by circulating the liquid to the bottom of the tank 3. In addition, the shaft seal of the rotating shaft (second main shaft 44) of the rotor 43 is easily damaged, etc.

The dispersion wings 42 are arranged in a state of protruding relative to the rotor 43. With the high-speed rotation of the rotor 43, the powder P is dispersed and mixed in the liquid L, and erosion is generated on the back side thereof.

The specific shape of the dispersion wing 42 is not particularly limited, but it can be a wing shape whose width or height tapers toward the rear of the rotation direction of the rotor 43, or a shape that is low in front and high in the rear from the rear of the rotation direction of the rotor 43 toward the front. In this way, erosion can be efficiently generated on the back of the dispersion wing 42.

Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the configuration or number of the dispersion wings 42. For example, a plurality of dispersion wings 42 may be configured at equal intervals on the circumference of the rotor 43.

In addition, the specific example of the dispersion wing 42 in this embodiment will be described later.

Here, the erosion generating unit 4 only needs to be capable of generating erosion in the liquid L by the high-speed rotation of the rotor 43, and there is no particular limitation on the detailed structure of the rotor 43 and the dispersion wing 42. For example, a combination of a plurality of rotors 43 and dispersion wings 42 can be cited.

As a specific example of the erosion generating section 4 in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , there can be cited a first rotor 43a provided with a first dispersing wing 42a and a second rotor 43b provided with a second dispersing wing 42b.

The first rotor 43a is configured such that its front side bulges out in a roughly conical shape, and a plurality of first dispersion wings 42a are arranged at equal intervals on its outer peripheral side in a state of protruding forward. In addition, in FIG. 3 , 10 first dispersion wings 42a are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In addition, the first rotor 43a is connected to the second main shaft 44 as a rotation axis.

Furthermore, the first dispersion wing 42a is formed to protrude from the outer circumference of the first rotor 43a to the inner circumference in a manner that it tilts backward in the rotation direction as it moves from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, and the inner diameter formed by the front end of the first dispersion wing 42a is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the stator 45 described later.

The second rotor 43b is formed into a generally funnel-shaped structure having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the stator 45. Specifically, the second rotor 43b is formed into the following shape: a funnel-shaped portion 431b protruding in a cylindrical shape and having an opening is provided in the central portion thereof, and an annular flat plate portion 432b arranged parallel to the first rotor 43a is provided in the outer periphery of the funnel-shaped portion 431b.

In the circumferential direction of the annular flat plate portion 432b, a plurality of second dispersion wings 42b are arranged at equal intervals in a protruding state. The second dispersion wings 42b may be protrusions including rods or triangular prisms, or may be in a shape with the front end tilted toward the funnel-shaped portion 431b and the front side lower and the rear side higher.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the second rotor 43b is mounted on the first rotor 43a via gap retaining members 46 provided at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, with the opening of the funnel-shaped portion 431b facing the bottom of the groove 3. Thus, the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b rotate integrally through the rotation drive of the second main shaft 44.

The stator 45 is a partition plate having a hole and arranged close to the rotor 43. More specifically, a cylindrical member concentric with the rotor 43 is arranged close to the rotor 43 and the dispersion wings 42. For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when a combination of a plurality of rotors 43 and dispersion wings 42 is provided, the stator 45 is arranged between the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b, that is, between the first dispersion wings 42a and the second dispersion wings 42b. Thus, the slurry S is subjected to shear force when passing through the gaps between the dispersion wings 42 and the stator 45, or the holes of the stator 45, which promotes the dispersion of the material.

There is no particular limitation on the shape of the hole in the stator 45, but it can be a round hole, an angular hole, or a slit. Usually, multiple holes are arranged at equal intervals.

Furthermore, the stator 45 can be fixed to the housing 41, but it is preferably capable of rotating in the opposite direction to the rotor 43 having the dispersion wings 42, thereby further improving the effect of applying shear force. In addition, when the stator 45 is rotated, the stator 45 can be linked to the first main shaft 22 in the stirring part 2 described later to rotate synchronously.

Based on Figure 2, the erosion generation and fluid movement path in the erosion generation unit 4 of this embodiment are explained.

First, the rotor 43 (the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b) is rotated at high speed by driving the motor M2 and the second main shaft 44. Along with the high-speed rotation, the powder P and the liquid L (slurry S) are introduced into the space inside the shell 41 from the gap between the first rotor 43a and the shell 41 or the opening provided in the shell 41. At this time, the dispersion wing 42 disperses and mixes the powder P in the liquid L, and in the liquid L located on the rear side (back side) of the rotation direction of the dispersion wing 42, erosion (local boiling) is generated according to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the shell 41. In addition, by generating erosion, a state in which a plurality of tiny bubbles are generated in the liquid L can be achieved. As a result, the liquid L that penetrates into the agglomerate of the powder P will also generate bubbles, thereby promoting the dispersion of the agglomerate. At the same time, the dispersion of the powder P is further promoted by the repeated expansion and contraction of the tiny bubbles generated in the liquid L.

Furthermore, after the slurry S passes through the flow path between the first rotor 43a and the second rotor 43b formed by the gap retaining member 46 from the opening of the funnel-shaped portion 431b in the second rotor 43b, it is subjected to shear force when passing through the gap between the first dispersing wing 42a and the stator 45 or the hole of the stator 45, which further promotes dispersion.

That is, in the erosion generating section 4 of the present embodiment, in addition to promoting dispersion by erosion generated near the dispersion wing 42, the stator 45 is repeatedly provided to apply shear force, thereby enabling efficient and effective dispersion and mixing of the material introduced into the tank 3. In addition, in addition to circulating in the erosion generating section 4, a portion of the slurry S is released from the opening of the housing 41 to the outside of the erosion generating section 4.

In addition, the dispersing and mixing device 1 in this embodiment can be configured to include the erosion generating part 4 including the rotor 43 in a form that can be completely immersed in the liquid L in the tank 3. However, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 described later, it is preferable to store the erosion generating part 4 at the bottom of the tank 3 so that the rotating shaft is in a vertical direction. For example, when the rotating shaft is set in a horizontal direction in the tank 3, if the shaft seal of the rotating shaft is worn, the slurry S inside the housing 41 may leak out through the shaft seal and contact the external air. On the other hand, if the rotating shaft is in a vertical direction, the slurry S leaking from the shaft seal provided on the rotating shaft (the second main shaft 44) is retained in the tank 3. Thus, the contact between the material and the outside (atmosphere) can be effectively blocked during mixing. Therefore, usually, for substances that are difficult to handle due to the generation of harmful gases or ignition caused by the reaction with moisture or oxygen in the atmosphere, such materials can be easily handled by introducing inert gas or dry air into the tank 3, and slurry can be stably produced.

In the dispersing and mixing device 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable to set the stirring section 2 separately from the erosion generating section 4. In this way, the slurry S diffused into the tank 3 can be efficiently introduced (guided) to the erosion generating section 4.

As the stirring section 2 in this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 , there can be cited a stirring blade 21 for stirring the entire tank 3 and a first main shaft 22 serving as its rotation axis. The stirring blade 21 is configured to cover the erosion generating section 4.

The stirring blade 21 stirs the slurry S in the tank 3 at a relatively low speed, and sends the slurry S diffused or scattered into the tank 3 by the centrifugal force of the rotation of the rotor 43 with the dispersing wings 42 of the erosion generating part 4 back to the bottom of the tank 3, and stirs the entire slurry S in the tank 3, thereby making it uniform.

The stirring blade 21 is rotated by the driving motor M1 via the first main shaft 22. The number of stirring blades 21 can be one or more, but if there are two, they are usually set at a position that is symmetrical to the rotation of the main shaft, such as in the straight direction.

In addition, regarding the shape of the stirring blade 21, in order to return the slurry S to the bottom of the tank 3, it is preferably designed to cover the space in the tank 3 as widely as possible so that there is no unstirred part in the tank 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the stirring blade 21 can be set as an inverted base shape (fan shape), and a pressure difference is generated between the upper and lower parts of the tank 3, so that the slurry S in the tank 3 flows from the upper part of the tank 3 to the lower part, etc.

The first main shaft 22 is inserted into the tank 3 from the top and functions as the rotation shaft of the stirring blade 21. In addition, as mentioned above, it is preferred that the first main shaft 22 is coaxially inserted with the second main shaft 44 in the erosion generating section 4. Thereby, the stirring blade 21 returns to the bottom of the tank 3 and the slurry S that rises along the inner wall of the tank 3 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor 43 and the dispersion wing 42 in the erosion generating section 4 is circulated in the tank 3, and the erosion is repeatedly generated and the shear force is applied, thereby efficiently obtaining a more homogeneous slurry.

Furthermore, by arranging the plurality of main shafts serving as rotating shafts coaxially in the vertical direction of the tank, it is easy to select a shaft seal with less leakage to the outside as the shaft seal. In this way, the contact between the powder P and liquid L in the tank 3 and the atmosphere outside the tank 3 can be suppressed, and the slurry can be stably produced regardless of the properties of the powder P or liquid L.

The following describes the fluid movement path in the tank 3 based on the erosion generating section 4 and the stirring section 2.

In addition, in the erosion generating section 4 of the present embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the arrangement direction (up and down direction) of the dispersion wings 42 mounted on the rotor 43. For example, the dispersion wings 42 can be arranged below the rotor 43 (bottom side of the groove 3) or above the rotor 43 (top side of the groove 3).

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams showing the overall structure of the dispersing and mixing device 1 in this embodiment, respectively showing structures in which the dispersing blades 42 in the erosion generating section 4 are arranged in different directions. In addition, FIG. 4 shows a case in which the dispersing blades 42 are arranged below the rotor 43, and FIG. 5 shows a case in which the dispersing blades 42 are arranged above the rotor 43.

The flow of the slurry S in the structure of the dispersing and mixing device 1 shown in FIG4 is as shown in the figure. First, after being dispersed and mixed by the dispersing wings 42, it flows out from the side of the erosion generating part 4 toward the rotating outside. Afterwards, after moving upward along the inner side wall of the tank 3 from the bottom of the tank 3, it is stirred by the stirring blades 21 and convected in the tank 3, and returns to the erosion generating part 4 from the dispersing wings 42 and the stator 45 at the upper part of the erosion generating part 4.

In the dispersing and mixing device 1 shown in FIG. 4 , the dispersing wings 42 rotate in the space defined by the bottom of the tank 3 and the shell 41, thereby exerting a stronger aerosol effect.

On the other hand, the flow of the slurry S in the structure of the dispersing and mixing device 1 shown in FIG5 is as shown in the figure. First, after being dispersed and mixed by the dispersing wing 42, it flows out from the side of the erosion generating part 4 toward the rotating outside. Afterwards, after moving upward from the bottom of the tank 3 along the inner side wall of the tank 3, it is stirred by the stirring blade 21 and convected in the tank 3, and returns to the erosion generating part 4 from the vicinity of the center of the dispersing wing 42 on the upper part of the erosion generating part 4.

In the dispersing and mixing device 1 shown in FIG5 , convection is easily performed in the tank 3 as a whole, and the effect of easy and uniform dispersion can be obtained.

The above-mentioned implementation method shows an example of the dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method of the present invention. The dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned implementation method, and the dispersing and mixing device and the dispersing and mixing method of the above-mentioned implementation method can be modified within the scope of the technical idea recorded in the claim.

[Industrial availability]

The dispersing and mixing device and dispersing and mixing method of the present invention are suitable for use in making slurry by mixing powder and liquid. In particular, they are suitable for the production of slurries of high concentration, high viscosity, and difficult-to-disperse materials. More specifically, they can be used in the production of lithium-ion battery electrode materials, coating materials, nanofiber dispersed composite materials, cosmetics such as emulsions, medicines such as ointments, and foods, etc.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-192384 filed on November 30, 2022. The entire contents of the Japanese application are incorporated by reference in this specification.

1: Dispersion mixing device

2: Mixing section

3: Slot

4: Erosion generation section

21: Stirring blades

22: 1st main axis

31: Liquid inlet

32: Powder inlet

41: Shell

42: Dispersion Wing

43: Rotor

44: Second main axis

45: Stator

L:Liquid

M1,M2: drive motor

P: Powder

Claims (6)

A dispersing and mixing device is used to mix powder and liquid to produce slurry, and is characterized by comprising: an erosion generating part that causes the liquid to generate erosion; and a tank having a space capable of storing the erosion generating part inside, wherein the erosion generating part generates erosion while being completely immersed in the liquid inside the tank, and the dispersing and mixing device is provided with a stirring blade for stirring the entire inside of the tank, and the stirring blade is arranged to cover the erosion generating part. As in claim 1, the dispersion mixing device, wherein the aerosol generating section has dispersion wings that generate aerosols by the rotational drive of the rotor, and the rotor rotates at a circumferential speed of more than 15 m/s. The dispersing and mixing device of claim 2, wherein the device comprises: a stator, which is arranged close to the rotor and has a hole, and the slurry is passed through the gap between the dispersing wing and the stator to apply shear force to the slurry. The dispersing and mixing device of claim 2, wherein the device comprises: a first main shaft inserted into the tank from the upper part of the tank; the stirring blades arranged on the first main shaft; and a second main shaft inserted coaxially with the first main shaft, and the rotor and the dispersing blades are arranged at the front end of the second main shaft. As in claim 4, the dispersion and mixing device, wherein the slurry is introduced from above the erosion generating part disposed at the bottom of the tank by negative pressure and convectively moved. A dispersion mixing method, using a dispersion mixing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, to mix powder and liquid to produce slurry, the dispersion mixing method comprising: an erosion generation step, which is to cause erosion to the aforementioned liquid, wherein the erosion generation step is performed in the interior of the aforementioned tank having an inlet for introducing the aforementioned liquid and the aforementioned powder and having a space capable of performing the aforementioned erosion generation step, and erosion is generated in a state where the liquid is completely immersed in the liquid inside the aforementioned tank.