Ross has introduced a new VersaMix system designed for demanding mixing applications requiring vacuum and pressure operation, offering capabilities that could be suited to battery materials processing.
The new Model VM-80 VersaMix combines a three-wing anchor agitator with a high-speed disperser in a single mixing system for blending, dispersing, heating, cooling and vacuum processing of liquids, slurries, gels, creams and pastes.
The unit has an 80-gallon (303-litre) working capacity and an 86-gallon (326-litre) total vessel capacity. Product-contact surfaces are manufactured from Type 316L stainless steel with a surface finish of less than 25 Ra, and are passivated and electropolished to simplify cleaning.
VersaMix: designed to operate under vacuum and internal pressure
Ross said the mixer is designed to operate at vacuum levels of up to 29.5inHg and internal pressures of up to 50psig (3.45 bar). The vessel includes a Type 304 stainless steel heating and cooling jacket rated for 50psig at 300°F (149°C), while both the vessel and jacket are ASME code stamped and board registered, with Canadian Registration Number (CRN) certification.
The anchor agitator is driven by a 5hp explosion-proof motor operating at 25–52rpm. A skim-breaker wing positioned beneath the anchor hub is intended to eliminate dead zones and improve material movement throughout mixing and discharge.
A 15hp explosion-proof motor drives the high-speed disperser, which is fitted with a 9in (229mm) Type 316 stainless steel sawtooth blade capable of operating at up to 2,016rpm. Ross said the disperser delivers blade tip speeds of up to 4,750ft/min (24.1m/s). The mixer also incorporates dry-running, non-contact dual gas seals, together with seal gas purge systems and debris wells for the air- or nitrogen-purged double mechanical seals.
Additional features include multiple tri-clamp nozzles in the vessel cover and an RTD temperature probe extending into the vessel to provide continuous temperature monitoring.
While the VersaMix VM-80 has been designed to meet sanitary requirements for bioprocessing and pharmaceutical applications, its ability to process slurries under controlled vacuum and pressure conditions may also make it suitable for advanced battery manufacturing and other high-performance materials processing.
