Static mixer for flowable materials, and related method

A static mixing unit for mixing flowable materials, which comprises

• a. a substantially solid body having a longitudinal axis and provided with an inlet end and an outlet end,
• b. a plurality of flow passages formed in said body,
• c. a first plurality of said flow passages communicating with said inlet end and extending angularly to the outer surface of said body,
• d. each of said flow passages converging from said outer surface centrally through said body to said longitudinal axis whereby all of said flow passages intersect at a common area along the axis of said body,
• e. said flow passages diverging from said common area to said outer surface and reconverging and diverging to intersect at one or more additional common areas at the axis of said body to provide a plurality of series related mixing stages, and
• f. said flow passages communicating with the outlet end of said body.

A static mixing nozzle which comprises

• a. hollow nozzle body including an inlet opening and a discharge opening,
• b. a static mixing unit axially received in the hollow interior of said nozzle body and disposed between said inlet and discharge openings,
• c. said static mixing unit comprising a substantially solid body having a longitudinal axis and including an inlet end communicating with said inlet opening and an outlet end communicating with said discharge opening,
• d. a plurality of flow passages formed in said solid body,
• e. each of said flow passages communicating with said inlet end and diverging to outer surface areas of said solid body,
• f. said flow passages converging from said outer surface areas centrally through said body to said axis whereby all of said flow passages intersect at a common area at the axis of said body,
• g. said flow passages diverging from said common area to said outer surface and reconverging and diverging to intersect at one or more additional common areas of the axis of said solid body, and
• h. said flow passages communicating with the discharge opening of said nozzle body.

The method of mixing a stream of flowable materials comprising the steps of

• a. passing the stream through the inlet end of a static mixer,
• b. dividing the stream into a plurality of sub-streams,
• c. diverging the sub-streams outwardly away from a central axis extending in the direction of flow of the stream to the outer surface of said static mixer,
• d. thereafter converging the sub-streams toward said central axis until they intersect and blend in a common area at said axis,
• e. increasing the velocity of the flowing materials momentarily as said materials flow through said common area,
• f. repeating steps (b) through (d) until the stream is thoroughly mixed, and
• g. reuniting the sub-streams at the outlet end of said static mixer.