Bead mill, also known as sand mill, is a key equipment used for wet ultra-fine grinding and dispersion in industrial production. It crushes or disperses particles in the slurry by agitating grinding media (such as zirconia beads, glass beads, etc.) at high speed in a closed container, ultimately achieving fineness at the micrometer or even nanometer level. Its core advantages lie in high efficiency, airtightness, and strong adaptability, making it widely used in chemical industry, biomedicine, electronic materials, and other fields.

 

The operation of a bead mill is based on mechanical shearing and impact forces. After the equipment is started, the preprocessed slurry is pumped into the grinding chamber. The high-speed rotating agitator (rotor) drives the grinding media to move, causing intense collisions, friction, and shearing between the media and particles, thereby粉碎ing large particles or dispersing agglomerates. The heat generated during the grinding process is removed by the cooling jacket control system to ensure stable temperature. After completion, the slurry is separated from the media through a bead separator (such as slit-type, screen-type, or centrifugal-type) and discharged. Unqualified materials can be recycled until the required fineness is met.

 

Bead mills are divided into vertical and horizontal types according to their structure. Horizontal models can be further subdivided into pin-type, disc-type, and turbine-type, etc., suitable for materials with different viscosity and precision requirements. The main components of the equipment include:

- Grinding chamber: The core working area that holds the media and slurry;

- Agitator: A key component that drives the movement of the media;

- Feed pump: Enables continuous delivery of slurry;

- Cooling system: Controls temperature to ensure process stability;

- Bead separator: Prevents media from flowing out with the product.

 

The efficient and precise processing capability of bead mills makes them the preferred equipment in multiple industries:

- Chemical industry: Used for nano-level dispersion of coatings, dyes, and inks to improve product uniformity and performance;

- Biomedicine: Cell disruption and extraction of active pharmaceutical ingredients to ensure efficient release and purity;

- Electronic materials: Fine grinding of electronic ceramics and magnetic materials to meet high-precision requirements;

- Other fields: Ultra-fine processing of non-metallic minerals in pesticides, cosmetics, food processing, etc.

 

Selecting a bead mill requires comprehensive evaluation of the following parameters:

1. Bead separation method: Slit-type is suitable for coarse grinding or high-viscosity materials (grinding beads ≥ 0.3mm), screen-type for medium fineness, and centrifugal separation-type can handle extremely small media (e.g., below 0.1mm) to achieve nano-level dispersion.

2. Grinding media characteristics: The material (such as zirconia beads, glass beads) and size of the media directly affect grinding efficiency and product fineness.

3. Process requirements: Match equipment power, rotation speed, and chamber volume according to material viscosity, target particle size, and production capacity requirements.

4. Temperature control and sealing: Airtight design prevents solvent volatilization, ensuring safety and environmental protection; the cooling system maintains stable temperature to avoid denaturation of heat-sensitive materials.

 

Bead mills feature high efficiency, energy saving, airtight safety, and strong adaptability, supporting continuous production. With the increasing demand for refinement in industries such as nanomaterials and biopharmaceuticals, the equipment is developing towards higher precision, intelligent control, and multi-functional integration to meet the advanced needs of future industries.

 

In summary, bead mill is a core equipment in the field of fine processing. Selection requires comprehensive evaluation based on specific material characteristics and process goals to ensure optimal production results.