Direct velocity imaging by magnetic resonance in a static mixer model produced using stereo lithography

An MRI-compatible, minimally scaled model of an SMX-type static mixer was produced of an acrylic photopolymer using stereo lithography. This mixer was mounted into a flow cell which was inserted into a vertically oriented MRI system operating at 200 MHz. Water and shear-thinning Xanthan gum solutions at various concentrations were circulated through the mixer and flow velocity imaging experiments for all three spatial directions were performed at several flow rates. The resulting flow velocity images show a more spatially focussed flow pattern for the Xanthan solutions than for plain water. Various analyses of the resulting flow velocity distributions were carried out for the experimental data, focused on finding dead zones within the mixing geometry that might cause clogging when polymer solutions are led through during reaction process.