Investigation of mixing and deaeration of innovative liquid calcium carbonate formulation that protects trees and fruits from damage caused by excessive UV exposure and heat stress

生物刺激防晒霜在美国被果树和坚果种植者广泛而成功地使用。目前，在加拿大没有销售或营销这种防晒产品。这使得加拿大种植者在边境种植者中处于越来越不利的地位，而边境种植者则从该产品的应用中受益。伊马斯科矿业公司正计划在不列颠哥伦比亚省建立一个新的工厂，每年生产80万加仑这种生物刺激剂防晒霜，这将导致每年1600万美元的销售额。防晒霜由62%超细碳酸钙，31%水和其他7种次要成分组成。在配制这种呈现非牛顿行为的超细颗粒的高度浓缩浆料期间，难以实现一致的高质量混合。一些问题是不稳定的胶体、不完全分散、颗粒聚集、过度沉降、分离和充气。因此，Imasco正在寻求与瑞尔森大学合作，研究防晒配方的混合和脱气，以保护植物和水果免受过度紫外线暴露和热应激造成的损害。该项目的主要目标是通过使用断层扫描、内窥镜检查、流变仪和先进的计算流体动力学技术来确定用于生产防晒霜的高效混合器和搅拌器的最佳设计参数。Imasco将在其新的防晒霜生产工厂中利用该研究项目的结果。这将使Imasco能够通过建立其专有的碳酸钙研磨操作和最先进的浆料混合和脱气操作的独特组合计划，引领北美生物刺激剂防晒行业。加拿大将成为Imasco的本土市场，并向其潜在的国际市场展示案例。新工厂的运营将为加拿大创造许多就业岗位。这也将导致充足的出口销售，增加加拿大税务局，不列颠哥伦比亚省和萨里市的税基。该项目还将培养一名博士后和两名博士。学生，谁将获得宝贵的工业经验。

Bio-stimulant sunscreens are widely and successfully utilized by tree fruit and tree nut farmers in the USA. Presently, there are no sales or marketing of this sunscreen product in Canada. This places Canadian growers at an increasing disadvantage to growers across the border, who are benefitting from the application of this product. Imasco Minerals Inc. is planning to build a new plant in British Columbia for the production of 800,000 gallons/year of this bio-stimulant sunscreen, which will lead to $16,000,000/year sales. The sunscreen consists of 62% ultrafine calcium carbonate, 31% water and 7 other minor ingredients. There are difficulties in achieving consistent, high quality mixing during the formulation of this highly concentrated slurry of ultrafine particles which exhibits non-Newtonian behavior. Some of the problems are unstable colloids, incomplete dispersion, particle aggregation, excessive sedimentation, segregation, and aeration. Thus, Imasco is seeking to collaborate with Ryerson University to investigate mixing and deaeration of the sunscreen formulation that protects plants and fruits from the damage caused by excessive UV exposure and heat stress. The main objective of the proposed project is to determine the optimal design parameters for an efficient mixer and deaerator for the production of the sunscreen via the use of tomography, endoscopy, rheometery, and advanced computational fluid dynamics techniques. Imasco will utilize the findings of this research project in its new sunscreen production plant. This will enable Imasco to lead the North American bio-stimulant sunscreen industry by establishing a uniquely combined program of its proprietary calcium carbonate milling operation and a state-of-the-art slurry mixing and deaeration operations. Canada will be Imasco's home market and show case to its potential international market. The operation of this new production plant will lead to the creation of many job positions in Canada. This will also result in ample export sales, increased tax base for Revenue Canada, Province of BC, and Municipality of Surrey. This project will also contribute to the training of one postdoctoral fellow and two Ph.D. students, who will gain invaluable industrial experience.