Stirring and mixing are two of mankind's oldest basic operations. Their origin can be traced back to the earliest days of food preparation. When preparing soup, a spoon is required to stir the pot. The spoon used for this process is the mixing tool and the circular hand movement is the mixing drive unit. Even the very first mixing processes required empirical experience in order to achieve the desired result.
Mixing is the process of combining several different source materials in conjunction with energy input. The multitude of the substances to be mixed is hard to estimate due to varied states of aggregation, composition, chemical and physical characteristics. Substance parameters such as density or powder density and viscosity, carry great significance during the mixing process. These parameters determine the energy requirements, the possible miscibility, the dispersing degree, and the mixture's stability.
Today, laboratory mixing devices and tools are used worldwide to perform the following basic operations:
- Dissolving
- Mixing
- Suspending
- Emulsifying
- Aerating
- Intensification of heat exchange Homogenizing
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