ABSTRACT

SIDEBAR 10.2 The Mixing Quest vis-à-vis State of the Art

The quest of much research done by academics in engineering is to provide a basis for design that has rational roots, a goal seldom achieved. In mixing, as in other unit processes, we understand process principles, but design still must rely largely on empirical guidelines coupled with rationale, experience, judgment, and knowledge of context. Selection of one design or another is likely to be arbitrary, based upon trends in practice or recommendations. As noted in Chapter 1, there has not been closure in the theory of most unit processes, and so it is with mixing.