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Method and apparatus for mixing small volumes of reaction components. In one application, a plurality of removable vessels are placed in a parallel reactor, and reaction components are delivered to each vessel. An impeller is rotated in each vessel to mix the components. Each impeller has a rotary s

Method and apparatus for mixing small volumes of reaction components. In one application, a plurality of removable vessels are placed in a parallel reactor, and reaction components are delivered to each vessel. An impeller is rotated in each vessel to mix the components. Each impeller has a rotary shaft and at least one blade on the shaft for placement in the reaction components. The blade is dimensioned so that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume representing a large amount of the fill volume of the vessel.

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1. An impeller used for mixing reaction components in a volume of less than 50 ml contained in a vessel having an overall capacity of less than about 50 ml, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, andat least one substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft adapted t

1. An impeller used for mixing reaction components in a volume of less than 50 ml contained in a vessel having an overall capacity of less than about 50 ml, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, andat least one substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft adapted to be positioned in the reaction components in the vessel for mixing the components upon rotation of the shaft,said blade having an overall width, substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and an overall longitudinal length, substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, greater than said width, said blade being sized for receipt in said vessel for mixing said reaction components, such that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 50 ml. 2. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one blade comprises a body which is thin, generally rectangular, and substantially symmetric about said longitudinal axis of the shaft. 3. An impeller as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one blade has a pair of shoulders tapering upward from the body to the shaft at an angle of about 45 degrees, said shoulders lying in a substantially vertical plane coincident with said body. 4. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one blade comprises a body having a narrow mixing extension projecting longitudinally down from the body. 5. An impeller as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mixing extension has an overall length, substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, less than the length of the body of the blade. 6. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one blade is constituted by a single blade molded as one piece with said shaft. 7. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a coupling element on said shaft for releasably coupling said shaft to a drive mechanism for rotating the shaft. 8. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 in combination with said vessel, said vessel having an overall height and an inside diameter, said overall width of the blade being less than said inside diameter of the vessel and said overall longitudinal length of the blade being less than the overall height of the vessel. 9. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade has no openings in it. 10. An impeller as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mixing extension is generally co-linear with the shaft. 11. An impeller as set forth in claim 1 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 30 ml. 12. An impeller as set forth in claim 11 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 10 ml. 13. An impeller as set forth in claim 12 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume in a range from about 4 ml to about 10 ml. 14. An impeller as set forth in claim 13 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume in a range from about 7 ml to about 10 ml. 15. An impeller used for mixing reaction components in a volume of less than 50 ml contained in a vessel, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, andat least one substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft adapted to be positioned in the reaction components in the vessel for mixing the components upon rotation of the shaft,said blade having a body and a narrow longitudinal mixing extension projecting down from the body generally co-linear with the shaft, said blade being sized such that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 50 ml. 16. An impeller as set forth in claim 15 wherein said mixing extension has an overall length, substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, less than the length of the body of the blade. 17. An impeller as set forth in claim 15 in combination with said vessel, said vessel having an overall height, an overa ll inside diameter, and an overall capacity of less than 50 ml, said blade being sized to be received in said vessel for mixing said reaction components. 18. An impeller as set forth in claim 15 wherein said blade has no openings in it. 19. An impeller as set forth in claim 15 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 30 ml. 20. An impeller as set forth in claim 19 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 10 ml. 21. An impeller as set forth in claim 20 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume in a range from about 4 ml to about 10 ml. 22. An impeller as set forth in claim 21 wherein one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume in a range from about 7 ml to about 10 ml. 23. A reactor comprisinga vessel having an overall capacity of less than about 50 ml,a mixing apparatus for mixing reaction components in the vessel, said mixing apparatus comprising an impeller, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, andat least one substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft sized for reception in said vessel for mixing of the reaction components in the vessel,said blade having an overall width substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and an overall longitudinal length, substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, greater than said width, said blade being sized such that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 50 ml. 24. The reactor as set forth in claim 23 in combination with other vessels and other impellers of the same construction grouped together to form a parallel reactor, wherein said mixing apparatus processes multiple reaction components simultaneously by rotating each of said impellers in a respective vessel. 25. A reactor comprisinga vessel having an overall capacity of less than about 50 ml,a mixing apparatus for mixing reaction components in the vessel, said mixing apparatus comprising an impeller, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, andat least one substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft sized for reception in said vessel for mixing the reaction components in the vessel,said blade having a body and a narrow longitudinal mixing extension projecting down from the body, generally co-linear with the shaft, said blade being sized such that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 50 ml. 26. The reactor as set forth in claim 25 in combination with other vessels and other impellers of the same construction grouped together to form a parallel reactor, wherein said mixing apparatus processes multiple reaction components simultaneously by rotating each of said impellers in a respective vessel. 27. An impeller used for mixing reaction components in a volume of less than 50 ml contained in a vessel having an overall capacity of less than about 50 ml, said impeller comprisinga rotary shaft having a longitudinal axis, anda substantially flat longitudinal blade on the shaft adapted to be positioned in the reaction components in the vessel for mixing the components upon rotation of the shaft,said blade having an overall width, substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and an overall longitudinal length, substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, greater than said width, said blade having a body which is thin, generally rectangular, and substantially symmetric about said longitudinal axis of the shaft and a narrow longitudinal mixing extension projecting down from the body generally co-linear with the shaft, said blade being sized for receipt in said vessel for mixing said reaction components, such that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume of less than about 50 ml.