An image processing technique is applied to measure the blend time in a confined impeller stirred tank (CIST). An acid-base reaction is used to track mixing. The blend time is defined as the time taken to 95 % or 99 % of the pixels change color from purple to yellow. Six sets of impellers are employed: Rushtons, A310s, pitched-blade turbines (PBTs; three different combinations of up-and downpumping), and Intermigs. Variation of the Reynolds number Re showed that the blend time becomes shorter with increasing Re and longer with higher viscosity. As Re drops below 225, compartmentalization becomes apparent and the decolorization percentage increases suddenly when the acid reaches each communication point between the impellers.
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