CFD-Based Evaluation of Stirred Tank Designs for High-Viscosity Copolymer Aramid Dope Mixing.

Abstract

High-viscosity aramid copolymer solutions are widely used in fiber manufacturing and advanced composite applications, but their elevated viscosity poses significant challenges for mixing and agitation processes. This study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to enhance the mixing performance of such systems. Flow behavior around the impeller was analyzed within a cylindrical stirred tank while varying the number of baffles (0, 2, 4, and 6) and comparing two different impeller designs (A and B). Simulation results showed that installing a sufficient number of baffles-particularly four-effectively suppressed swirling flows commonly observed in high-viscosity fluids, thereby significantly improving mixing efficiency. Additionally, impeller geometry played a critical role in performance: the axial-flow impeller promoted faster homogenization and broader circulation compared with the radial-flow design. Through this CFD-based analysis, this study elucidates the key mechanisms governing mixing in high-viscosity fluids and provides practical design and operational guidelines for industrial stirred tank systems. These findings complement existing empirical guidelines focused on low-viscosity fluids and contribute to improving the efficiency and reliability of high-viscosity polymer processing.