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[January 2009]
Efficient Grinding at –196°C
The CryoMill from Retsch GmbH (Haan, Germany) has been specially designed for cryogenic grinding. The grinding jar is continually cooled with liquid nitrogen from the integrated cooling system before and during the grinding process. Thus the sample is embrittled and volatile components are preserved.
The liquid nitrogen circulates through the system and is continually replenished from an autofill system in the exact amount which is required to keep the temperature at –196°C. The automatic cooling system guarantees that the grinding process is not started before the sample is thoroughly cooled. This results in reduced consumption and guarantees reproducible grinding results.
The grinding parameters can be stored for routine tasks. LEDs in the display indicate the current state of operation, e.g. cooling or grinding. With a vibrational frequency of 25 Hz the CryoMill processes most materials very effectively in a few minutes says Retsch.
The sample is mainly ground by impact but also by friction which allows for substantially finer grind sizes compared to other cryogenic mills. The CryoMill is equipped with one grinding station for grinding jar volumes of 25ml, 35ml and 50ml. Another option is the use of an adapter which holds up to four 5ml grinding jars. The mill can also be operated without cooling which makes it suitable for a vast range of applications.
ENDS