Three Physical Properties of Grinding Beads

The application of the bead mill has become wider and wider since the fineness of the chemical material is required higher and higher. As you may know, many kinds of grinding media on the market are in demand to meet different ranges of target particles. Here are some physical properties of grinding beads for your reference.

1. Density 

There are two indicators, true density, and bulk density, which are determined by the molecular weight and ratio of various chemical components. Theoretically, the larger the density of the grinding beads, the greater the impulse and the higher the grinding efficiency though the wear to the bead mill components such as the grinding cylinder and separation disc is relatively larger. Thus, the slurry viscosity and flow rate become the key. Normally, low-density grinding beads are suitable for slurry in low viscosity while high-density grinding beads are for high viscosity.

2. Hardness 

Mohs scale or Vickers scale are commonly used to indicate the hardness of the grinding beads. Generally, the higher the hardness of the grinding beads, the lower the wear rate of the beads. Although the beads of high hardness may cause the contacting components to wear,  the beads' filling amount, slurry viscosity, etc. can be adjusted to find the best combination.

3. Diameter

The diameter of the grinding beads determines the contact area with the grinding slurry. The contact area between beads in smaller sizes and the particles in the slurry is larger thereby increasing the grinding efficiency. However, the smaller beads may have insufficient impulse if the grinding particles are large. For example, grind the slurry with particles or aggregations 100μm with φ1mm beads. In such cases, using the larger beads is quite necessary.