US Mixers has recently supplied two customized LBC-100 IBC tote mixers built with PVDF wetted parts, demonstrating our ability to adapt our standard mixer designs to meet specific customer requirements and challenging chemical environments.
For this application, both mixers were supplied with PVDF shafts and PVDF E-400 folding impellers, replacing the 316 stainless steel normally used for these wetted components. The change in material was specifically selected to provide improved compatibility with the corrosive contents of the customer’s IBC totes.
Why PVDF?
PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is a high-performance fluoropolymer offering excellent resistance to a broad range of chemicals and corrosive substances.
While 316 stainless steel is an excellent material for many industrial mixing applications, certain aggressive chemicals can require an alternative material for components that come into direct contact with the product. PVDF combines excellent chemical and corrosion resistance with good mechanical properties, making it well suited to selected applications involving aggressive acids and other corrosive liquids.
Customizing the LBC-100
The US Mixers LBC-100 is designed specifically for mixing products directly within standard IBC totes. Its robust frame mounts across the IBC cage, while the E-400 folding impeller is designed to pass through the restricted tote opening before deploying inside the container.
For this project, supplying both the shaft and E-400 impeller in PVDF rather than our standard 316 stainless steel allowed us to retain the practical advantages of the LBC-100 while configuring all principal wetted mixing components around the customer’s chemical compatibility requirements.
It is a good example of an important principle at US Mixers: the mixer should be specified around the application, not the application around the mixer.
We would like to thank our customer for bringing this particular requirement to US Mixers and for giving us the opportunity to develop and supply a solution that met their needs.
Whether the requirement involves alternative wetted materials, motor specifications, speeds or impeller configurations, US Mixers can customize our equipment to suit a wide range of IBC mixing applications. Contact us with your product, its viscosity and specific gravity, and what you need the mixer to achieve.