Agitator impeller comparison in a high yield‐stress lignocellulosic slurry

Abstract Agitation of yield‐stress fluids is required in many industries. Substances include biogums, toothpaste, and, for this paper, lignocellulosic slurries used to make biofuels and biochemicals. However, little has been published comparing how different impellers perform in such slurries. In this paper, we compare three popular turbine impellers: the Rushton turbine, a pitched‐blade turbine, and a hydrofoil. The differences are quite large. An anomaly is that the apparent rheology is different for each impeller. This is a subject that needs more research.