Editing Mixing (process engineering) (section)

== Liquid–liquid mixing ==
Mixing of liquids occurs frequently in process engineering. The nature of liquids to blend determines the equipment used. Single-phase blending tends to involve low-shear, high-flow mixers to cause liquid engulfment, while multi-phase mixing generally requires the use of high-shear, low-flow mixers to create droplets of one liquid in [[laminar flow|laminar]], [[turbulent]] or transitional flow regimes, depending on the [[Reynolds number]] of the flow. Turbulent or transitional mixing is frequently conducted with [[turbine]]s or [[impeller]]s; laminar mixing is conducted with helical ribbon or anchor mixers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bakker.org/cfm/webdoc13.htm |title=Various Mixing Experiments |publisher=Bakker.org |date=1998-04-10 |access-date=2017-06-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626145907/http://www.bakker.org/cfm/webdoc13.htm |archive-date=26 June 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Single-phase blending===
Mixing of liquids that are [[miscible]] or at least [[soluble]] in each other occurs frequently in engineering (and in everyday life). An everyday example would be the addition of milk or cream to tea or coffee. Since both liquids are water-based, they dissolve easily in one another. The momentum of the liquid being added is sometimes enough to cause enough [[turbulence]] to mix the two, since the [[viscosity]] of both liquids is relatively low. If necessary, a spoon or paddle could be used to complete the mixing process. Blending in a more viscous liquid, such as [[honey]], requires more mixing [[power (physics)|power]] per unit volume to achieve the same homogeneity in the same amount of time.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}