Mixing Dry Building Materials with Aerogel Particles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mixing dry building materials that are difficult to wet, such as hydrophobic materials like airgel particles, often result in inadequate wetting, leading to agglomeration, premature wear of mixing equipment, and loss of thermal insulation properties due to mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-stage mixing process with static mixing tools followed by dynamic tools, using water as the mixing liquid, which reduces friction and shearing forces, and optionally adding additives like surfactants to enhance mixing and retention of airgel particle structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical mixing is used to mix dry building materials with mixing liquid, then uniform blending of raw materials is achieved, but insufficient wetting of hydrophobic materials occurs leading to agglomeration and lump formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by fluidizing the dry building material before mixing to pre-wet the hydrophobic particles. The fluidization process creates a state where particles are suspended and more receptive to subsequent mixing liquid application, ensuring better initial wetting coverage before mechanical mixing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles through fluidization using gas flow to suspend and distribute hydrophobic particles. This pneumatic pre-treatment ensures uniform distribution and improved wetting characteristics before the hydraulic mixing liquid is introduced, solving the wetting insufficiency problem.
2Reliability
If intensive mechanical mixing is applied to wet difficult-to-wet materials, then wetting improves, but equipment wear increases due to high friction from unwetted particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by fluidizing the dry building material before mixing to pre-wet the hydrophobic particles. The fluidization process creates a state where particles are suspended and more receptive to subsequent mixing liquid application, ensuring better initial wetting coverage before mechanical mixing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles through fluidization using gas flow to suspend and distribute hydrophobic particles. This pneumatic pre-treatment ensures uniform distribution and improved wetting characteristics before the hydraulic mixing liquid is introduced, solving the wetting insufficiency problem.
3Device complexity
If conventional mixing is used for hydrophobic materials, then processing is simple, but premature wear of downstream conveying units occurs due to high friction from unwetted particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by fluidizing the dry building material before mixing to pre-wet the hydrophobic particles. The fluidization process creates a state where particles are suspended and more receptive to subsequent mixing liquid application, ensuring better initial wetting coverage before mechanical mixing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles through fluidization using gas flow to suspend and distribute hydrophobic particles. This pneumatic pre-treatment ensures uniform distribution and improved wetting characteristics before the hydraulic mixing liquid is introduced, solving the wetting insufficiency problem.
4Ease of manufacture
If mixing liquid is added to hydrophobic dry building materials, then plaster or mortar composition is formed, but inadequate mixing leads to agglomeration and loss of thermal insulation properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by fluidizing the dry building material before mixing to pre-wet the hydrophobic particles. The fluidization process creates a state where particles are suspended and more receptive to subsequent mixing liquid application, ensuring better initial wetting coverage before mechanical mixing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles through fluidization using gas flow to suspend and distribute hydrophobic particles. This pneumatic pre-treatment ensures uniform distribution and improved wetting characteristics before the hydraulic mixing liquid is introduced, solving the wetting insufficiency problem.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures thorough wetting of dry building materials, minimizing equipment wear and preserving the thermal insulation properties of airgel particles, resulting in a low-wear, gentle mixing process that maintains the insulating properties of the final plaster or mortar mass.
Implementation Method 1
a mixing liquid is added to at least one dry building material. The dry building material and the mixing liquid are then mixed
Implementation Method 2
The dry building material and the mixing liquid are then mixed in a first mixing operation. The mixture containing the dry building material and the mixing liquid is then subjected to at least one further mixing operation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the mechanical mixing of difficult-to-wett dry building materials for the production of a plaster or mortar mix, in which at least one mixing liquid is added to at least one dry building material, and the dry building material and the mixing liquid are then mixed in a first mixing operation. According to the invention, the mixture containing the dry building material and the mixing liquid is subjected to at least one further mixing operation, which immediately follows the first mixing operation. Subsequently, the mixed dry building material is fed to a conveying unit, in particular a screw pump. The invention further relates to a plaster mix produced according to the method for the production of an insulating plaster, which contains aerogel particles as a lightweight filler.