A method for manufacturing a pelletised mineral product, the method comprising: in a first mixing step, forming a first mixture by mixing the evaporite mineral with non- gelatinised starch under conditions that are insufficient to substantially gelatinise the starch; in a second mixing step, forming a second mixture by mixing the first mixture under conditions that are sufficient to substantially gelatinise the starch comprised within the first mixture; and forming the second mixture into pellets.

A system and method for recycling used asphalt material through convection heating and gentle tumbling recycles used asphalt material, such as reclaimed asphalt pavement, by uniformly and gradually applying radiant and convectional heating towards the used asphalt material. A radiant heating coil generates a controlled amount of radiant heat, at about 325 degrees, and up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. At least one blower works to blow the radiant heat to the used asphalt material as convectional heat. An agitating conveyor simultaneously carries the used asphalt material while it is being heated. The agitating conveyor has a radiant heated conveyor floor that comprises depressions that work to agitate the used asphalt material. The uniform heating of the used asphalt material inhibits moisture from surging from the used asphalt material and maintains integrity of the subsequently formed rejuvenated asphalt. A rejuvenating chamber mixes the used asphalt material with a rejuvenating composition.

The invention relates to an additive manufacturing device for the layered production of three-dimensional objects from a polymerizable liquid. The device comprises a trough with a bottom for receiving the liquid, a support platform, on which the object is built up and which is height-adjustable relative to the trough, a structural element having a first and a second side, on which the liquid polymerizes on the first side to form an object layer, and a radiation source which irradiates the second side of the beam-permeable structural element. The structural element is disposed above the upper support platform.

A dispensing device, comprising a plurality of microfluidic pumps, microfluidic valves, and a microfluidic mixer chip, for receiving and mixing microfluidic amounts of a plurality of fluids having differing viscosities, is disclosed. The device includes a plurality of pathways for moving fluids from associated reservoirs to the microfluidic mixer chip. A mix controller controls the microfluidic pumps and valves so that the fluids, having different viscosities, can be accurately mixed at specified microfluidic amounts or volumes according to a specified microfluidic recipe, and the microfluidic mixture dispensed from the device. The device can be in communication with a software application implemented on a mobile compute device, such as a smartphone, and receive instructions for implementing the specified microfluidic recipe from the software application such that the operation of device components is at the direction of the software application executed on the mobile compute device.

A apparatus comprising: a vessel component comprising a flow-through interior chamber having an interior sidewall and an exterior sidewall; at least two inlets for introducing chemical components into the flow-through interior chamber; at least one outlet for removing product from the flow-through interior chamber; and an off center rotation component which is operatively connected to the vessel component. During operation of the apparatus, the off center rotation component generates vortical movement of at least two chemical components through the flow-through interior chamber of the vessel, and converts at least a portion of the at least two chemical components to at least one reaction product or product mixture. A method of using the apparatus to produce reaction products or product mixtures. The apparatus and method are useful for producing specialty chemicals such as fragrance and flavor compounds, insect pheromones, petrochemicals, pharmaceutical compounds, agrichemical compounds, and the like.

A blender for blending viscous material and additive material by vortex action includes an upper section and a lower section. The upper section has a receiving portion, a viscous material inlet that is in fluid communication with the receiving portion, and an additive inlet that is in fluid communication with the receiving portion. The lower section is attached to and disposed below the upper section, said includes a blending portion that is in fluid communication with the receiving portion of the upper section. The blending portion is shaped so as to facilitate the blending of the additive material entering the receiving portion through the additive inlet with the viscous material entering the receiving portion through the viscous material inlet. The blender includes an outlet for blended material that is in fluid communication with the blending portion of the lower section. A method of blending additive materials with asphalt cement employs a blender having no moving parts that is adapted to blend asphalt cement and additive materials by vortex action.

A static mixing module for mixing of material includes an inlet end and an outlet end, between which a longitudinal axis extends. A plurality of angularly spaced mixing channels extendingbetween the inlet end and the outlet end, each two adjacent mixing channels being separated by an intermediate wall. At least one mixing element is provided within each mixing channel. Each intermediate wall has a uniform or an essentially uniform wall thickness (t) as measured in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A steam heater is also disclosed which comprises said static mixing module.

The present disclosure provides for a first embodiment, where, a first, lower shaft speed mixing of the component combination takes place in a thermokinetic mixer, where monitoring of the batch by temperature rate increase determination results in a determination that a substantial portion of desired thermokinetic mixing has occurred, whereafter a different shaft speed is used to complete the desired thermokinetic mixing of the component combination.

A method for continuously processing at least two liquid feed streams is provided. A system for continuously processing at least two liquid feed streams is also provided.

An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup, a dispensing chamber disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a frozen beverage container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink, at least one dispensing mechanism configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position in which the dispensing mechanism drives the frozen ingredients from the frozen beverage container into the blender cup, and a drive mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to drive the movement of the dispensing mechanism from the pre-dispense position to the dispense position. A method of preparing a frozen drink is further disclosed.