The method for producing a pigment-kneaded product includes a step [1] of supplying at least a pigment and a resin to a container provided in a kneading apparatus and a step [2] of kneading the resulting content (content (a1)) present in the container until a storage elastic modulus of content (a1) at an angular frequency of 1 rad/s, which is obtained by measurement of dynamic viscoelasticity at 25 C., reaches a range of 200 kPa to 30,000 kPa.

An automated drilling-fluid additive system and method for on-site real-time analysis and additive treatment of drilling fluid to be directly injected into a well without additional storage or handling. The drilling fluid includes returned drilling fluid intended to be re-used, which has a variety of viscosity and other qualities resulting from its various preceding use. The target drilling fluid will have a variety of viscosity and other qualities depending upon and changing with various phases of drilling operations and various conditions encountered. The drilling fluid is analyzed in real time as it flows into the automated drilling-fluid additive system, and various additives are added to and thoroughly blended with the drilling fluid as needed to achieve the desired result. The blended drilling fluid is collimated to produce a laminar flow and is discharged from the automated drilling-fluid additive system in the proper condition for direct injection into a well without any storage in a holding tank and without any further processing, treatment, or handling.

An installation and a method for treating a plastic melt includes a reactor that has a reactor housing consisting of first and second reactor housing parts, a mixing element being arranged in the second reactor housing part and mounted thereupon so as to rotate about a rotational axis. The reactor, together with a discharge device and with at least one weighing device connected between these, is supported on a contact area.

A system features an acoustic sensor configured to mount on a wall of a mixing drum, sense an acoustic characteristic of a mixture of a slurry, including concrete, contained in a mixing drum when rotating, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic characteristic sensed; and a signal processor configured to receive the acoustic sensor signaling, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a slump characteristic of the mixture of concrete contained in the mixing drum, based upon the signaling received.

Viscosity and other properties are determined at desired temperatures in drilling mud and other fluids by using a versatile cavitation device which, operating in the cavitation mode, mixes and heats the fluid to a specified temperature, and, operating in the shear mode, acts as a spindle for application of Couette principles to determine viscosity as a function of shear stress and shear rate. The invention obviates the practice of adjusting rheology of a drilling fluid by passing it through the drill bit. Drilling fluid may be managed by a straight-through method to the well, or by placing the cavitation device in a loop which isolates an aliquot of known volume and circulating the fluid through the loop including the cavitation device. A controller may be programmed to manage the viscosity and other properties at various temperatures by controlling the power input and angular rotation of the spindle (which has cavities on its cylindrical surface), and feeding viscosity-adjusting agents and other additives to the fluid. Data may be collected from the loop and used in the straight-through mode until it is determined that conditions require a new set of data, or the loop may be used continuously. The system may be used with a supplemental viscometer, density meter, and other instruments.

Viscosity and other properties are determined at desired temperatures in drilling mud and other fluids by using a versatile cavitation device which, operating in the cavitation mode, mixes and heats the fluid to a specified temperature, and, operating in the shear mode, acts as a spindle for application of Couette principles to determine viscosity as a function of shear stress and shear rate. The invention obviates the practice of adjusting rheology of a drilling fluid by passing it through the drill bit. Drilling fluid may be managed by a straight-through method to the well, or by placing the cavitation device in a loop which isolates an aliquot of known volume and circulating the fluid through the loop including the cavitation device. A controller may be programmed to manage the viscosity and other properties at various temperatures by controlling the power input and angular rotation of the spindle (which has cavities on its cylindrical surface), and feeding viscosity-adjusting agents and other additives to the fluid. Data may be collected from the loop and used in the straight-through mode until it is determined that conditions require a new set of data, or the loop may be used continuously. The system may be used with a supplemental viscometer, density meter, and other instruments.

A method is provided for monitoring a flow behavior of mixed components without requiring additional instrumentation or sampling. The method is carried out by determining ratios of the power required to rotate a mixing impeller at different rotational speeds and then comparing the ratios. Characteristics about the mixed components are determined based on differences between the ratios.

Viscosity and other properties are determined at desired temperatures in drilling mud and other fluids by using a versatile cavitation device which, operating in the cavitation mode, mixes and heats the fluid to a specified temperature, and, operating in the shear mode, acts as a spindle for application of Couette principles to determine viscosity as a function of shear stress and shear rate. The invention obviates the practice of adjusting rheology of a drilling fluid by passing it through the drill bit. Drilling fluid may be managed by a straight-through method to the well, or by placing the cavitation device in a loop which isolates an aliquot of known volume and circulating the fluid through the loop including the cavitation device. A controller may be programmed to manage the viscosity and other properties at various temperatures by controlling the power input and angular rotation of the spindle (which has cavities on its cylindrical surface), and feeding viscosity-adjusting agents and other additives to the fluid. Data may be collected from the loop and used in the straight-through mode until it is determined that conditions require a new set of data, or the loop may be used continuously. The system may be used with a supplemental viscometer, density meter, and other instruments.

Embodiments of the method disclosed regard use of a torque sensor (e.g., transducer) and using the measured torque to detect the different fluid and mixing properties, conditions, and abnormalities in a mixing process. The torque produced in the mixing process relates to different fluid properties such as viscosity and density. It also relates to different mixing conditions such as presence of obstacles and changes or issues with gas sparging. Moreover, torque measurements enable determination of power transmitted to fluid by actual measurement, in contrast to using solely empirical impeller power number and speed, and allowing for actual mass transfer determination (i.e., gas transfer calculations).

An example system for conditioning drilling fluid includes a tank to hold drilling fluid and outlet conduits located at least partly within the tank. The outlet conduits have a tree structure that includes a trunk and branches. Each of the branches has one or more nozzles for outputting drilling fluid within the tank. The system also includes one or more inlet conduits for receiving drilling fluid from the tank and one or more pumps that are controllable to suction the drilling fluid from the tank through the one or more inlet conduits and to force the drilling fluid into the tank through the outlet conduits.