Static Micromixer

Dr. Schubert, Dr. Bier, Dr. Herrmann, Dr. Menzel

Abstract

Disclosed is a static micromixer with a mixing chamber and a duct component upstream of the former for separate feeding to the mixing chamber of the fluids to be mixed or dispersed. The aim of the invention is to design the duct component in a static mixer of this generic type in such a way as to improve the efficiency of the mixing process in the mixing chamber. The invention is characterised by the following features:

1. the wafer-like elements A and B for the duct component each consist of thin films with a thickness of 10-1000 µm, preferably < 250 µm, the lateral dimension being of the order of millimetres, a family of adjacent grooves being formed in each wafer-like element such that when the foils are superposed one on top of the other a separate series of channels is formed for feeding the fluids A' and B' to be mixed;
2. the grooves have depths of less than 1000 µm, preferably less than 250 µm, widths of between 1 µm and the millimetre range but preferably less than 1000 µm, the wall thicknesses of the intermediate ridges and groove floors being less than 1000 µm and preferably less than 250 µm;
3. each family of grooves in the stacked films follows an arc and lead alternately from the mixing chamber to a feed chamber for the fluid A' or B' in such a way that all families of grooves in the films are aligned parallel to one another and discharge into the mixing chamber.