Low shear impeller

1. An impeller for blending liquids and solids suspension materials, comprising:

at least two blades angularly distributed around a driving shaft rotatable on an axis, wherein the blades each comprise at least one flat plate, sloped to define an inclined plane relative to the axis for displacing the materials parallel to the axis;

wherein each blade has a bend at a position on a radial outside of a radially inner part of the blade that is flat, joining to a radially outer part of the blade that also is flat and is bent at a bend line in a direction outward of flow of said materials parallel to the axis; and,

wherein the blades have an axial extension substantially equal to a diameter of a path of the blades in rotation about said axis.

2. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein at least two of said blades are disposed at angular positions around a hub such that the blades are at equal axial positions on the driving shaft.

3. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein at least two of said blades are diametrically opposite one another on a hub.

4. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein said blades individually are placed angularly around the driving shaft so as to protrude radially at axially spaced positions, whereby the driving shaft, with the radially protruding axially space blades thereon, is insertable through an opening having a diameter less than the diameter of the path of the blades in rotation about said axis, by laterally displacing the shaft relative to the opening.

5. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the inclined plane is oriented at about 15° from a plane parallel to the rotation axis.

6. The impeller of claim 5 , wherein the axis is vertical and the shaft has a rotation direction, and wherein the inclined plane is oriented to displace the materials downwardly.

7. The impeller of claim 5 , wherein the axis is vertical and the shaft has a rotation direction, and wherein the inclined plane is oriented to displace the materials upwardly.

8. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein the bend line is about 20° and is located at a radial distance from the rotation axis of about 70% of an outside diameter of the impeller path.

9. The impeller of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the impeller blades is shaped to complement a vessel wall.

10. A mixing apparatus comprising:

a vessel for holding liquids and solids suspension materials to be blended;

an impeller comprising at least two blades angularly distributed around a driving shaft rotatable on an axis, wherein the blades each comprise at least one flat plate, sloped to define an inclined plane relative to the axis for displacing the materials parallel to the axis, wherein each blade has a bend at a position on a radial outside of a radially inner part of the blade that is flat, joining to a radially outer part of the blade that also is flat and is bent at a bend line in a direction outward of flow of said materials parallel to the axis, and, wherein the blades have an axial extension substantially equal to a diameter of a path of the blades in rotation about said axis.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the axis is substantially centered in the vessel and the vessel has at least one vertical baffle disposed adjacent to the path of the blades in rotation about said axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the vessel has a contoured wall and at least one of the blades passing near said contoured wall has a complementary contour therewith.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the axis is substantially off center relative to a center of the vessel.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the vessel has an opening for receiving the driving shaft and said blades individually are placed angularly around the driving shaft so as to protrude radially at axially spaced positions, wherein the opening is large enough to admit the shaft and one of said blades, and the opening is smaller than the diameter of the path of the blades in rotation about said axis.

15. A mixing apparatus, comprising:

a vessel for holding liquid and solid suspension materials;

an impeller comprising at least two blades angularly distributed around a driving shaft rotatable on an axis, wherein the blades each comprise at least one flat plate, sloped to define an inclined plane relative to the axis for displacing the materials parallel to the axis, wherein each blade has a bend at a position on a radial outside of a radially inner part of the blade that is flat, joining to a radially outer part of the blade that also is flat and is bent at a bend line in a direction outward of flow of said materials parallel to the axis, and, wherein the blades have an axial extension substantially equal to a diameter of a path of the blades in rotation about said axis;

wherein the inclined plane is oriented at about 15° from a plane parallel to the rotation axis, wherein the bend line forms an angle of about 20° with the plane parallel to the rotation axis and wherein the bend is located at a radial distance from the rotation axis of about 70% of an outside diameter of the impeller path.

16. The impeller of claim 15 , wherein at least two of said blades are disposed at angular positions around a hub such that the blades are at equal axial positions on the driving shaft.

17. The impeller of claim 16 , wherein at least two of said blades are diametrically opposite one another on a hub.

18. The impeller of claim 16 , wherein said blades individually are placed angularly around the driving shaft so as to protrude radially at axially spaced positions.

19. The impeller of claim 16 , wherein the vessel has an opening smaller than the diameter of the path of the blades and larger than a radial dimension of the driving shaft and one of said blades, such that the driving shaft with the blades thereon is insertable through the opening in the vessel.