The dynaBLEND liquid polymer blending system from Fluid Dynamics, a division of Neptune Chemical Pump Company Inc., offers a non-destructive, cost-effective and space-efficient process for mixing polymers in wastewater treatment plants.

Valued for their ability to attract, absorb and ultimately remove suspended particles, polymers can be difficult to work with because of their molecular properties. In concentrated form, polymers resemble a coiled spring. Uncoiled, they become susceptible to fracture. High-speed mixers used to keep sticky polymer particles separated can break the activated strands, rendering them less effective. To compensate, plant operators often feed more polymer than necessary into the mix, increasing chemical costs.

While a slowly blended polymer mix might be less destructive, the process requires large holding tanks and can be time-consuming. Greg Kriebel, Fluid Dynamics national sales manager, says the liquid mixing system was designed to replace the hand-made process. “Before the advent of the inline liquid polymer blending unit, operators would take a bucket of polymer, dump it into a tank of water and turn on a mixer and batch it manually,” he says.

Instead of mixing impellers, the dynaBLEND system uses a two-step process to protect the molecules. A 70-feet-per-second jet of water is followed by low-shear turbulent blending to produce a homogeneous solution. A precise metering system cuts chemical cost by allowing only the amount of polymer needed to be pumped into the blender. Since there is no holding tank, the system saves space.

The system includes a polymer metering pump, water-flow meter, water-flow adjusting valve, mixing chamber, and control panel. Flow capacities range from 30 to 21,000 gallons per hour of polymer solution. For more information, call 215/699-8700 or visit www.dyna blend.com.