GX Static Mixer Product Bulletin For Mixing & Dispersing Viscous Fluids……………. INTRODUCTION For more than 25 years, Type GX static mixers have been used successfully for the mixing and/or dispersing of viscous fluids. They are capable of mixing materials with equal or very different viscosities and volumetric flow rates. To create a mixing element assembly with the required number of mixing elements for the application, the mixing elements are welded together (see Figure #3). Adjacent mixing elements are o oriented 90 relative to each other. They are then inserted into a pipe housing (see Figure #4). The number of mixing elements and pipe diameter required for a specific application is a function of the customer’s process and system requirements with consideration for the desired homogeneity, pressure drop limitations and fluid properties such as flow rates, viscosities, densities, etc. The GX mixing elements are available in metal construction (see Figure #1) and in plastic construction (see Figure #2). Figure #3: Type GX Mixing Element Assembly with 4-mixing elements Figure #1: Metal Type GX Mixing Elements are available in sizes as small as 9.8 mm (0.39”) diameter and in much larger sizes. The Type GX mixing element creates a very high degree of mixing in a short length. Each mixing element has a length-todiameter ratio of approximately 1.0. A typical mixing element assembly ranges from 2-mixing elements for simple applications to as many as 20-mixing elements for very difficult applications. Applications for the GX mixing elements include the extrusion of plastics, polymer and fibers synthesis, and the general processing of viscous materials such as Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR), Adhesives, Polyurethanes, Sealants, Polyol, Foods, etc. Figure #2: Plastic GX Mixing Elements are available in nominal 9.4 mm OD size in 50% glass-filled Polyamide (Nylon) 66 (PA66) plastic (black units) and Polypropylene (PP) plastic (white units). Figure #4: Type GX mixing elements installed inside a pipe with beveled ends prepared for welding (left), threaded pipe (center) and in a flanged housi

The number of Type GX mixing elements required for a specific application in laminar flow conditions is shown in Table #1 and Table #2 and is visualized in Figure #5. Table #1: Number of Type GX Mixing Elements required in laminar flow conditions (viscosity ratios up to 100:1) The pressure drop across the Type GX static mixing unit is provided by the pumps feeding the materials to the static mixer. By varying pipe diameter in combination with the number of mixing elements required for the specific application, virtually any system pressure drop limitation can be accommodated. In laminar flow...

Figure #5: The Coefficient of Variation of mixing (CoV) for the Type GX static mixer in laminar flow is visualized in the above photographs. Top Photograph: Eight (8) Type GX Mixing Elements are shown where each mixing element is oriented 90o relative to the adjacent mixing element. Center Photograph: Mixing of Blue and White viscous resins (1:1 volumetric ratio and similar viscosity) is demonstrated where the blue resin is injected into the center of the tube containing the Type GX static mixing element assembly. The cross-sectional cuts along the mixing length show the rapid increase of layers...

Type GX mixing elements are available in 316L S/S construction as the standard material. Other common materials available upon request include Heat Treated 17-4 PH stainless steel, Alloy 20, Hastelloy C, etc. Standard mixing elements are made to fit Sch. 40 pipe in sizes, 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 1-1/2”, 2” and all larger piper sizes. Units to fit other pipe Schedules and tubing sizes are available upon request. Complete ready to install units are available in tubing and most pipe schedules with housing plain ends, ends prepared for welding, threaded ends, and with flanged end connections (see Figure...

RETENTION OF GX MIXING ELEMENTS INSIDE OF HOUSING There are a number of techniques to retain metal Type GX mixing elements inside a housing depending on installation requirements which are described below. • Non-Removable Mixing Elements (weld mixing elements into housing technique) Figure #5 The most common and least expensive method of retaining the mixing element assembly inside a housing is to weld the first and last mixing element to the inside of the pipe wall at the points where the 8-mixing bars contact the pipe ID. This non-removable mixing element retention technique can be used with...

Static Mixing, Reaction & Heat Transfer Technology Products Static Mixing Technology is our only business. We offer a complete line of static mixer designs for both laminar flow and turbulent flow applications. Our designs are briefly described below. Mixing of blue and white resins in an empty pipe (top) and through a Type GXR static mixer (bottom). Type “GX”: High Performance Type “GXR”: High Performance Mixing of high viscosity liquids with similar and extreme viscosity and volumetric ratios; inducing plug flow; boosting viscous heat transfer; and the processing of molten polymers Primary...