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[April 2008]
Gentle Size Reduction Down to Nano Range
The new PM 100 CM Planetary Ball Mill from Retsch GmbH (Haan, Germany) is said to offer all the performance and convenience of the classic PM 100. It pulverises and mixes soft, medium-hard to extremely hard, brittle and fibrous materials and is used wherever the highest degree of fineness down to the submicron range is required. It is suitable for dry and wet grinding.
In contrast to the PM 100, the speed ratio of sun wheel to grinding jar is 1:-1, i.e. the mill operates in centrifugal mode. This results in a different ball movement so that the sample is not so much crushed by impact effects but more gently ground by pressure and friction which allows for a lower temperature rise in the grinding jar and less abrasion. The PM 100 CM is said to offer an excellent alternative for all applications where size reduction must not necessarily be carried out with maximum energy input.
When planetary ball mills are used for processes such as mechanical alloying or chemical syntheses, it can be helpful to monitor and document the pressure and temperature inside the grinding jar during operation. For these applications, Retsch now offers the PM GrindControl new measuring system. A built-in sender in the grinding jar lid sends digital signals to a USB receiver which is connected to a PC. Up to 200 values are measured per second. The transmitted data can easily be processed with common LIMS programmes.
www.retsch.com
ENDS