An apparatus includes a housing, a reaction vial and a transfer mechanism. The housing defines a first flow path and a second flow path. The housing has transfer port defining an opening in fluid communication with the second flow path and a volume outside of the housing. The transfer port includes a flow control member to limit flow through the opening. The reaction vial is coupled to the housing and defines a reaction volume, which is in fluid communication with the transfer port via the second flow path. The transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a sample from an isolation chamber of an isolation module to the reaction chamber via at least the first flow path when the transfer mechanism is actuated. The transfer mechanism configured to produce a vacuum in the reaction vial to produce a flow of a sample from the isolation chamber to the reaction volume.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mixing and atomizing a hydrocarbon stream using a diluent/dispersion stream. The apparatus includes an inner conduit having an inlet for receiving the diluent/dispersion stream; an outer conduit having an inlet for receiving the hydrocarbon stream and an outlet for dispensing a mixture including the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams; the outer conduit concentric to the inner conduit to define at least a first annular space and a second annular space; the first annular space being located downstream of the inlet of the outer conduit, the first annular space enabling formation of a thin film of the hydrocarbon stream between an outer surface of the inner conduit and an inner surface of the outer conduit; the second annular space being located downstream of the first annular space, the second annular space having a width greater than a width of the first annular space; and the inner conduit located at about the second annular space includes a first set orifices disposed on a periphery thereof for dispensing a first portion of the dispersion/diluent stream into the thin film of hydrocarbon stream to cross-shear the thin film and form the mixture including the hydrocarbon and the dispersion/diluent streams.

Apparatuses for preparing a sample are disclosed herein. The apparatuses include a chamber, a first valve at least partially disposed in the first chamber, a second valve at least partially disposed in the first chamber, and a pump comprising an actuator and nozzle.

Disclosed herein are formulations and processes for the preparation of pigment and wax dual dispersions by (1) providing a solution comprising a water and at least one surfactant in a dispersion apparatus comprising a container, a rotor-stator homogenizer, and a piston homogenizer coupled via a recirculation device; (2) adding at least one pigment to the solution; (3) forming a pigment dispersion by flowing the at least one pigment and the solution to the rotor-stator homogenizer via the recirculation device; (4) adding at least one wax to the pigment dispersion; and (5) flowing the at least one wax and pigment dispersion to the piston homogenizer via the recirculation device until a pigment and wax dual dispersion is formed. Also disclosed herein are pigment and wax dual dispersions, as well as a dispersion apparatus for preparing pigment and wax dual dispersions. In certain embodiments, a dispersion apparatus for preparing a pigment and wax dual dispersion may comprise a container, a rotor-stator homogenizer, a piston homogenizer, and a recirculation device coupled to the container and the homogenizers that allows a dispersion to flow between the container and the homogenizers.

A method in which a stream of dry cementitious powder from a dry powder feeder passes through a dry cementitious powder inlet conduit to feed a first feed section of a fiber-slurry mixer. An aqueous medium stream passes through at least one aqueous medium stream conduit to feed a first mixing section the fiber-slurry mixer. A stream of reinforcing fibers passes from a fiber feeder through a reinforcing fibers stream conduit to feed a second mixing section of the fiber-slurry mixer. The stream of dry cementitious powder, aqueous medium stream, and stream of reinforcing fibers combine in the fiber-slurry mixer to make a stream of fiber-cement mixture which discharges through a discharge conduit at a downstream end of the mixer.

Continuous method including: mixing water and cementitous powder to form slurry; mixing the slurry and reinforcement fibers in a single pass horizontal continuous mixer to form fiber-slurry mixture, the mixer including an elongated mixing chamber having a reinforcement fiber inlet port, and upstream of the fiber inlet port is an inlet port to introduce water and cementitous powder together as one stream or at least two inlet ports to introduce water and dry cementitous powder separately as separate streams into the chamber, a rotating horizontal shaft/s within the chamber, part of the chamber for mixing the fibers and slurry and moving the fiber-slurry mixture to a mixture outlet; discharging the fiber-slurry mixture from the mixer outlet; forming and setting the fiber-slurry mixture on a moving surface; cutting the set mixture into fiber reinforced concrete panels and removing the panels from the moving surface.

A method in which a stream of dry cementitious powder passes through a first conduit and aqueous medium stream passes through a second conduit to feed a slurry mixer to make cementitious slurry. The cementitious slurry passes through a third conduit and a reinforcement fiber stream passes through a fourth conduit to feed a fiber-slurry mixer which mixes the slurry and discrete fibers to make a stream of fiber-slurry mixture. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

The invention generally relates to a mixing device. In certain embodiments, devices of the invention include a fluidic inlet, a fluidic outlet, and a chamber, the chamber being configured to produce a plurality of fluidic vortexes within the chamber.

A chemical treatment apparatus for diluting and activating a polymeric material can include a mixing chamber having a first end, a second end, a first baffle plate positioned between the first end and second end, a high shear mixing zone positioned between the first end of the mixing chamber and the first baffle plate, and a low shear mixing zone positioned downstream from the high shear agitation zone between the second end of the mixing chamber and the first baffle plate. The volume ratio of the high shear mixing zone to the low shear mixing zone can be in the range of 1:2 to 1:10. A method and system for diluting and activating polymeric materials are also disclosed.

The invention generally relates to a mixing device. In certain embodiments, devices of the invention include a fluidic inlet, a fluidic outlet, and a chamber, the chamber being configured to produce a plurality of fluidic vortexes within the chamber.