Apparatus for mixing solids and fluids

An apparatus for mixing solid particles with a fluid composition, the apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for containing the solid particles, the hopper communicates with a casing;
• a drive shaft which extends into the casing;
• a slinger member which is attached to the drive shaft;
• the slinger member has a toroidal configuration, including a concave surface which faces toward the top of the casing;
• the slinger member is interrupted by several blade members, the depth of each blade is the linear distance from the upper edge to the lowest point of each blade, the linear distance between the said upper edge of each blade member and the nearest opposite point on the flat surface of the casing defines a positive gap between the slinger member and the casing;
• and the linear distance of said positive gap is in the range of from about one-half the depth of each blade to about twice the depth of each blade;
• an impeller member which is attached to the underside of the slinger member and to the drive shaft;
• the impeller member has a vortex configuration, including a concave surface which faces toward the bottom of the casing;
• the slinger member has a larger surface area than the impeller member;
• the slinger and the impeller members are enclosed by the casing and said members are rotatable within the casing;
• a drive means for rotating the drive shaft, the slinger member, and the impeller member;
• an inlet conduit having one end in communication with the casing, and an opposite end in communication with a source for the fluid composition;
• and
• an outlet port in the casing for discharging a mixture of the solid particles and fluid composition from the casing.