A mixer for recirculating ash from solid fuel combustion with hydrated lime and water and to feed the mixture into a desulfurization reactor. The mixer includes a housing having a front wall, two outer vertical sidewalls, a rear wall, a top, and a bottom, the top includes a feed chute configured for the entry and addition of product to the mixer, and the front wall includes an opening for the mixture of product to exit. The mixer also includes a rotatable vertical shaft having an impeller, the impeller having a plurality of blades disposed on the vertical shaft in the same horizontal plane and distributed equidistantly about the circumference of the vertical shaft. The mixer also includes a vertical wall disposed within the housing forming a mixing region and a feeding region that is operably connected to the opening of the front wall.

The invention provides containers for pressuring an aqueous liquid with a gas to increase the concentration of the gas in the aqueous liquid. The container employs one or more moveable sections to reduce the accessible volume of the container, e.g., allowing gases such as H2 to become supersaturated within an aqueous liquid.

The invention provides containers for pressuring an aqueous liquid with a gas to increase the concentration of the gas in the aqueous liquid. The container employs one or more moveable sections to reduce the accessible volume of the container, e.g., allowing gases such as H2 to become supersaturated within an aqueous liquid.

A method of controlling fluid flow in a fluid channel of fluidic cartridge can include closing a valve by actuating a mechanical actuator against the valve to force a deformable layer against walls of a valve body, wherein the valve body comprises a valve inlet and a valve outlet and each of the valve inlet and valve outlet are fluidically coupled to a fluidic channel; releasing the valve by retracting the mechanical actuator away from the valve body; and moving liquid through the valve by applying positive or negative pressure to the fluidic channel.

Disclosed herein are powder mixing apparatuses and methods that utilize the deagglomerizing and mixing effects of an air flow that impacts a flowing powder. The resulting powder can have smaller particle sizes and/or exhibit a more homogenous mixture than the premixed powder.

A 3D printing system comprises a pressure system to provide a negative pressure and a hopper having a first opening to receive powder to be used for printing, wherein the powder is received in an open state of the first opening. The hopper has a second opening to guide air from outside the hopper to inside the hopper and has a third opening connected to the pressure system so as to provide for a negative pressure inside the hopper, the negative pressure to overcompensate for the air receive through the second opening such that a pressure being lower when compared to an ambient pressure of the hopper is generated inside the hopper.

Disclosed herein are powder mixing apparatuses and methods that utilize the deagglomerizing and mixing effects of an air flow that impacts a flowing powder. The resulting powder can have smaller particle sizes and/or exhibit a more homogenous mixture than the premixed powder.

Some variations provide a system for producing a functionalized powder, comprising: an agitated pressure vessel; first particles and second particles contained within the agitated pressure vessel; a fluid contained within the agitated pressure vessel; an exhaust line for releasing the fluid from the agitated pressure vessel; and a means for recovering a functionalized powder containing the second particles disposed onto surfaces of the first particles. A preferred fluid is carbon dioxide in liquefied or supercritical form. The carbon dioxide may be initially loaded into the pressure vessel as solid carbon dioxide. The pressure vessel may be batch or continuous and is operated under reaction conditions to functionalize the first particles with the second particles, thereby producing a functionalized powder, such as nanofunctionalized metal particles in which nanoparticles act as grain refiners for a component ultimately produced from the nanofunctionalized metal particles. Methods for making the functionalized powder are also disclosed.

A method and apparatus for obtaining a product chemistry from a solid block is provided. The product is housed within a dispenser, which utilizes a liquid and a gas to erode the block and produce a concentrate solution. The liquid and gas characteristics can be adjusted in the field to achieve a predetermined concentrate level in the solution. The introduction of air into the dispenser saves water, while producing higher concentrate levels.

This disclosure provides, among other things, a cartridge comprising: (a) a cartridge body comprising a malleable material and having, disposed on a surface of the body, at least one valve body comprising a valve inlet and a valve outlet, each fluidically connected to a fluidic channel; and (b) a layer comprising a deformable material bonded to a surface of the cartridge body and sealing the at least one valve body at points of attachment, thereby forming at least one valve; wherein the at least one valve body is depressed in the cartridge body relative to the points of attachment and wherein the deformable material covering the at least one valve body retains sufficient elasticity after deformation such that in a ground state the valve is open. Also disclosed is an instrument comprising a cartridge interface and a cartridge as described herein engaged with the cartridge interface, wherein (II) the cartridge interface comprises: (A) at least one mechanical actuator, each mechanical actuator positioned to actuate a valve; and (B) at least one motor operatively coupled to actuate a mechanical actuator toward or away from a valve.