The invention relates to a process of manufacturing a dental milling block with a homogeneous color and/or translucency gradient. This process comprises the steps of providing a mold with a cavity having a z-direction and an x/y-direction, filling the cavity partially with a first powder up to a height H1, the first powder having a volume VP1 with a top and bottom surface, introducing a second powder on top of the first powder up to a height H2, the second powder having a volume VP2 with a top and bottom surface and, the top surface of the first powder being in contact with the bottom surface of the second powder and forming an intermediate region, providing a mixer unit with at least one rotatable mixing element, introducing the rotating mixing element in z-direction into the intermediate region, mixing the powder located in the intermediate region by rotating the mixing element, removing the rotating mixing element from the powder, compacting the powder, optionally applying heat to the compacted powder, the first powder differing from the second powder by its physical properties and/or chemical composition and/or color. The invention also relates to a process of producing a dental restoration using dental milling block obtainable according to this process.

The invention relates to a process of manufacturing a dental milling block with a homogeneous color and/or translucency gradient. This process comprises the steps of providing a mold with a cavity having a z-direction and an x/y-direction, filling the cavity partially with a first powder up to a height H1, the first powder having a volume VP1 with a top and bottom surface, introducing a second powder on top of the first powder up to a height H2, the second powder having a volume VP2 with a top and bottom surface and, the top surface of the first powder being in contact with the bottom surface of the second powder and forming an intermediate region, providing a mixer unit with at least one rotatable mixing element, introducing the rotating mixing element in z-direction into the intermediate region, mixing the powder located in the intermediate region by rotating the mixing element, removing the rotating mixing element from the powder, compacting the powder, optionally applying heat to the compacted powder, the first powder differing from the second powder by its physical properties and/or chemical composition and/or color. The invention also relates to a process of producing a dental restoration using dental milling block obtainable according to this process.

A coffee densifier is disclosed having an elongated housing having a chamber configured to receive ground coffee. The mixing chamber has an inlet end opposite a discharge end. The discharge end has a discharge door. The densifier has a shaft driven by a motor, the shaft extending along a longitudinal length of the mixing chamber. The densifier has a plurality of paddle-less pins fixed to the mixing shaft and configured to agitate a bed of coffee within the mixing chamber.

A stirring container and a stirring apparatus are provided. The stirring container includes a barrel and a plurality of stirring paddles. The barrel is defined with an inner surface, an outer surface, and a center axis. The first opening and a second opening are located at two ends of the center axis; and the paddles are fixed on the inner surface of the barrel and extend from the first opening to the second opening and the extending directions thereof are skewed to the center axis. The stirring apparatus includes the aforesaid stirring container, a supporting structure and a rotation module. The supporting structure connects to the outer surface of the barrel to make the barrel rotatable and covers the second opening. The rotation module connects to the outer surface to rotate the stirring container. Thereby, the stirring container and the stirring apparatus can provide better stirring results.

A mixer unit is described, comprising a support, a mixing container which includes a mixing device, and first and second load cells mounted on opposed sides of the mixing container between the mixing container and the support. The mixing container is to receive and mix unfused build materials for a 3D printing system from at least two different sources. The mixing container is mounted to the support in a manner constraining to vertical movement and such that all vertical forces from the mixing container pass through the load cells to the support. In this manner, a vertical force of the mixing container acting on the support is measured to weigh the contents of the mixing container. A method of mixing unfused build materials for a 3D printing system in a predefined weight ratio using the mixer unit is also described.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and liquid additive without melting the polyolefin solids during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture above the freezing point of the at least one liquid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and liquid additive without melting the polyolefin solids during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture above the freezing point of the at least one liquid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and a particulate solid additive without melting the polyolefin solids or the particulate solid additive during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture below the melting point of the at least one particulate solid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids or the at least one particulate solid additive.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and a particulate solid additive without melting the polyolefin solids or the particulate solid additive during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture below the melting point of the at least one particulate solid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids or the at least one particulate solid additive.

Disclosed are novel remedial capping methods comprising: (a) providing an organic adsorption ingredient and an organic polymer delivery ingredient; (b) providing a non-organic silica carrier ingredient; (c) blending the organic adsorption ingredient, the organic polymer delivery ingredient, and the non-organic silica carrier ingredient to form a capping composition layer mixture; (d) delivering the capping composition layer mixture to a delivery means; and (e) distributing the capping composition layer mixture throughout a distribution pool and forming a capping composition layer in an area in need of remediation.