Volumetric Flask Shaking

Question

Hello 
 Not having a background in chemistry, I am stumbling around trying to build my information of shaking flasks, specifically volumetric flasks. 
 To explain further, I am working on an idea where I am creating a digital twin of some equipment where we can analyse the best way to shake/mix fluids (maybe even sometimes a solid dose) in a volumetric flask. 180 degree Inversion always seems to be the normal practice but I have also seem people rotationally swirling in an upright position. 
 Any information or a point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. 
 With best regards 
 Lee

mapj1 · Accepted Answer

It will depend on the relative densities of the compounds you are mixing, and how viscous they are. It will also depend on how non-uniform you are happy for things to be at the end of the mixing process. some activities like dissolving a sparingly soluble salt in water are surprisingly lumpy and need a lot of work to mix. Inversion is useful with widely varying density as it counters vertical stratification (heavy stuff at the bottom) as no amount of swirling hopefully really works for that... 
 In industrial settings and for things like processing of medical samples, where the variation of hand waving is not acceptable, magnetic stirrers or overhead stirrers are used on a timer in the cases when flasks are used at all. Overhead stirring with a propeller style head can be used to pump material vertically and can be as good as inversion. Only works with chemicals that do not attack the stirrer of course. 
 Full scale manufacturing chemistry usually involves optimized mixing vessels, pumps etc. (think more like an oil refinery or a bakery.) 
 Note that some things are best mixed hot for speed, or on the contrary for some thermally reactive things like explosives, better in the cold, or for others like photosensitive chemicals, in the dark. To be general, your 'digital twin' will need a lot of inputs. 
 Mike.

Volumetric Flask Shaking

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