What is the purpose of a baffle in a glass-lined reactor?

You may think of them as just another component in your vessel, but the truth is baffles are essential to proficient blending, solids suspension, and other mixing objectives. If you had a square or rectangular tank, baffles wouldn’t be needed due to the geometry of the vessel walls; however, most glass-lined tanks are cylindrical and without some sort of baffle system, the velocities created by the agitator generate the unwanted vortex (i.e. swirling) which amounts to an ineffective mixing environment.

When choosing a baffle for your glass-lined reactor, the overall configuration, including baffle design, quantity, and installation must be considered to maximize the efficiency of the reactor.