Abstract:
Agitators are significant components of many industries including chemical, food processing,
water treatment industry etc. Specifically designed, mostly metallic blades are used in
agitators in these processes. These blades are susceptible to wear, clogging, corrosion, and
mechanical damage. Which can result in product quality problems, a decrease in efficiency,
more time for repairs and other safety issues. The purpose of this study is to design different
shapes of blades that will be made up of PLA, ABS, and other thermoplastics and analyze
their behavior in cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. A specifically designed apparatus
will be used to test the designs under different materials and conditions. The specimen will
then be analyzed by qualitative techniques such as microscopic surface imaging and profiling
to
scrutinize the abrasion mechanism and the extent of material degradation.
