beadmilling

Bead milling is a size reduction process used to grind and disperse solid materials in a liquid medium. It utilizes a grinding chamber filled with small beads, typically made of ceramic, glass, or steel, which act as the grinding media. The chamber is agitated, causing the beads to collide with each other and with the solid particles suspended in the liquid. This attrition and impact action breaks down the particles into finer sizes.

The process is highly effective for producing fine and ultra-fine powders, and is commonly employed in industries such as paint and coatings, inks, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, and agrochemicals. The fineness of the final product can be controlled by factors such as bead size, bead material, agitation speed, residence time, and the viscosity of the liquid medium. Bead mills come in various designs, including stirred bead mills and agitated bead mills, each offering specific advantages for different applications. Stirred bead mills typically have a stationary grinding chamber with rotating agitators, while agitated bead mills have a grinding chamber that is itself agitated. The choice of bead mill depends on the desired particle size, throughput, and material properties.