Bead Mills What is a classic bead mill?

Overview

Bead mills differences
What is bead beating?
Temperature control in bead mills

A bead mill is a type of equipment used for ultrafine grinding and dispersing of particles. It operates on the principle of impact and attrition: grinding media (beads) made of glass, ceramic, or steel are agitated inside a vessel or a chamber by a rotating shaft with impellers, causing the particles to break into smaller sizes due to collision and shear forces.

Bead mills are widely used in industries such as paints, inks, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agrochemicals for the preparation of high-quality dispersions, emulsions, and suspensions. The key advantages of bead mills include their ability to achieve very fine particle sizes (often sub-micron), improved product stability, and uniform particle distribution. There are various types of bead mills, including horizontal and vertical configurations, each designed for specific applications and capacity requirements.

What is the difference between a bead mill and an attritor mill?

Bead mills and attritor mills are both used for grinding and dispersing materials down to fine particle sizes. Bead mills work by agitating a mixture of the material to be ground and a grinding medium (beads) with a rotating agitator. This causes the beads to collide with the particles of the feed, breaking them into finer particles. The process is also known as bead milling and the focus is on the chaotic movement, driven by the motion of the beads. Attritor mills, also known as stirred ball mills, operate by rotating a shaft with arms or discs that stir the media and the feed inside a vertical or horizontal tank. This stirring action causes a continuous circulation of the feed and media, creating intense shearing and impact forces that grind the material.

Key Differences

Mechanism of Action: Bead mills rely more on the energy generated from the motion of the beads within the mill, whereas attritor mills rely on the action of the rotating shaft with attached arms or discs to stir the media and feed.
Grinding Media Size: Bead mills generally use smaller grinding media compared to attritor mills, which enables finer particle size reduction.
Dispersion vs. Grinding: While both mills can achieve dispersion and grinding, bead mills are more commonly associated with dispersion applications for nanoparticles and fine chemicals, whereas attritor mills are often used for a broader range of grinding applications.

What are the differences between Planetary Ball Mills and Bead mills?

Bead mills and planetary ball mills are both widely used for particle size reduction and the dispersion of materials in various industries, but they have distinct applications based on their operating principles and the results they achieve.

Bead mills are primarily used for ultrafine grinding and the dispersion of particles to nano and sub-micron levels. They excel in processing liquid or paste-like materials. Planetary ball mills are used for mixing, homogenizing, and grinding across a broad range of applications, from soft to extremely hard materials. They are well-suited for achieving particle sizes ranging from a few micrometers down to the nano range.
Bead mills are especially effective for materials that are difficult to grind, including pigments, nanoparticles, and pharmaceutical compounds. Planetary Ball Mills are versatile, allowing for dry, wet, and even cryogenic grinding. They are used in fields such as material science, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry for sample preparation and research.
Material State: Bead mills are more suitable for liquid or semi-liquid materials, which makes them ideal for wet grinding applications. Planetary ball mills, on the other hand, are versatile, handling dry, wet, or even cryogenic materials.

Planetarne młyny kulowe

Zakres produktów

The Planetary Ball mills, the Mixer Mills MM 500 nano and MM 500 control, as well as the High Energy Ball Mill Emax, offer greater versatility compared to Bead Mills. All these mills are suitable for both dry and wet grinding. Unlike bead mills, RETSCH ball mills can also process larger sample pieces using larger grinding balls. Instead of agitating a liquid/bead mixture, the movement of the grinding jars in these mills ensures excellent circulation of the beads, leading to extremely fine grinding results. Therefore, the RETSCH Planetary Ball mills, the MM 500 nano and MM 500 control, and the Emax can be considered as an alternative to traditional bead mills.

Młynek miksujący MM 500 nano

Młyn miksujący MM 500 control

Wysokoenergetyczny młyn kulowy E_max

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Rozbijanie komórek oraz próbki biologiczne

nasze rozwiązania w twojej aplikacji

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Młyn miksujący MM 400 - Rozbijanie komórek drożdży*

_{*Na filmie pokazano poprzedni model o identycznej zasadzie działania.}

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What is bead beating?

Bead beating is a technique used to lyse or disrupt cells and tissues to extract intracellular contents, including nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), proteins, and other cellular components. This method involves the vigorous agitation of a sample mixed with small, often spherical, beads in a closed container. The beads are made from various materials such as glass, ceramic, steel, or zirconium, depending on the type of sample and the desired outcome.

The process works by physically shearing the cells apart as they collide with the beads and each other due to the high-speed shaking or vortexing of the sample. The effectiveness of bead beating is influenced by several factors, including the size and material of the beads, the speed and duration of agitation, the type and strength of the cell walls or membranes being disrupted, and the volume and consistency of the sample.

Bead beating is a versatile technique used across a range of applications, from molecular biology and biochemistry to environmental science and food testing. It is particularly useful for processing difficult-to-lyse samples, such as yeast, fungi, algae, and tissues from plants and animals, as well as for homogenizing samples with mixed cell types. The method offers several advantages, including the ability to process multiple samples simultaneously, the potential for high-throughput automation, and compatibility with a wide variety of sample types.

Młynek miksujący MM 400

Młynek miksujący MM 400 - Rozwiązania dla aplikacji biologicznych oraz rozbijania komórek

Another RETSCH ball mill, the Mixer Mill MM 400, is well known for a process called bead beating, and thus also is a bead mill.

The MM 400 processes up to 20 samples in 1.5 or 2 ml Eppendorf tubes without cross contamination which saves time for the operator. Additionally, an adapter is available to accommodate up to eight 50 ml Falcon tubes. The optimal bead size for cell disruption varies based on the cell type; for bacteria and yeast, glass beads ranging from 0.75 to 1.5 mm are recommended, while smaller beads within the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm are more suitable for fungi and microalgae.

For DNA or RNA extraction, smaller single-use tubes up to 2 ml are ideal, whereas larger vials like the 50 ml Falcon tubes are well-suited for processing cell suspensions up to 240 ml in total for proteins or metabolites. The optimum bead beating parameters vary according to cell type. It may take some experimenting to find the best results. Usually, 30 s (most microalgae) to 7 min (yeasts in general) of bead beating are required to fully disrupt the cells.

Młyn miksujący MM 500 vario obsługuje do pięćdziesięciu jednorazowych probówek 2 ml, co znacznie zwiększa przepustowość i wydajność.

Komórki Phaeodactylum tricornutum przed (po lewej) i po rozbiciu (po prawej) za pomocą młynka miksującego MM 400 wyposażonego w adapter do probówek Falcon.

DLA BEZPIECZNYCH I SKUTECZNYCH PROCESÓW MIELENIA AKCESORIA DO MM 400

NACZYNIA MIELĄCE W 6 WERSJACH MATERIAŁOWYCH

Naczynia mielące z 7 różnych materiałów

The nominal volume of the screw-top grinding jars ranges from 1.5 ml to 50 ml.
Available materials include hardened steel, stainless steel, agate, tungsten carbide, zirconium oxide and PTFE, ensuring contamination-free sample preparation.
Transparent PMMA grinding jars are used for in-situ RAMAN spectroscopy but also enable applications with photochemical reactions. Moreover, these are resistant to a variety of chemicals.
The jars can be used with the predecessor of the MM 400 just like older jar models are compatible with the latest mixer mill model.

ADAPTERY DO PROBÓWEK JEDNORAZOWYCH

Adapters for 0.5 / 1.5 / 2 / 5 ml single-use vials can be used in the MM 400.
For larger sample amounts, e. g. for protein extraction, adapters for 50 ml conical centrifugation tubes or 30 ml wide-mouth bottles are available.

Adaptery dla zwiększenia przepustowości próbek

The MM 400 can be equipped with adapters that accommodate four 5 ml stainless-steel grinding jars, allowing for simultaneous pulverization of a maximum of 8 samples.
This increased throughput is particularly beneficial for mechanochemical applications.

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Temperature control in bead mills

Controlling the temperature can be crucial in wet grinding processes or bead beating processes as many materials processed in bead mills are temperature-sensitive. Excessive heat can cause undesirable chemical reactions or physical changes, such as polymer degradation, color changes in pigments, or changes in the crystalline structure of materials. For cell disruption, proteins are very temperature-sensitive and degrade quickly. Maintaining an optimal temperature ensures the integrity of the material's properties. Another aspect is the viscosity: Temperature fluctuations can affect the viscosity of the slurry being processed, which in turn influences the grinding efficiency and the quality of dispersion. A stable temperature ensures consistent viscosity, which is critical for achieving uniform particle sizes and a stable dispersion.

To manage these issues, bead mills often incorporate temperature control mechanisms, such as cooling jackets or external chillers, which circulate a cooling fluid around the grinding chamber to dissipate excess heat. Some mills also feature temperature monitoring systems to enable precise control over the process conditions.

RETSCH offers two bead mills where the temperature can be controlled easily during wet grinding or bead beating: The High Energy Ball Mill Emax and the Mixer Mill MM 500 control.

Highly Efficient Cooling System in the Emax

The development of a high-energy ball mill presents a significant challenge in temperature management, as the intense energy required for size reduction generates substantial heat within the grinding jar. RETSCH has addressed this issue with a novel water-cooling system integrated into the mill. Consequently, the Emax typically does not necessitate cooling breaks, which are common in long-term processes using traditional ball mills, even at reduced speeds. In the Emax, the cooling system effectively lowers the temperature of the grinding jars through the jar brackets. This method is highly efficient since water dissipates heat more readily than air. Users have the flexibility to select from three cooling modes: besides the built-in cooling, the mill can be connected to a chiller or directly to a water tap to further reduce the temperature. A chiller set to 4°C is the best choice to assure ambient temperatures for wet grinding processes when the Emax is used as a bead mill.

Emax

Brak konieczności stosowania przerw na chłodzenie.

Innovative cooling system in the MM 500 control

MM 500 control jest wysokoenergetycznym laboratoryjnym młynem kulowym, który może być stosowany do mielenia na sucho, mokro i kriogenicznie z częstotliwością do 30 Hz. Jest to pierwszy na rynku młyn miksujący, który pozwala na monitorowanie i kontrolę temperatury procesu mielenia.

Obszar temperatury obejmuje zakres od - 100 do 100 °C i jest to opcjonalna cecha, oferowana z myślą o zwiększeniu wszechstronności urządzenia. Młyn może pracować z różnymi płynami termicznymi, co pozwala na zastosowanie wielu różnych urządzeń do chłodzenia lub ogrzewania. Jeśli do chłodzenia wybrany zostanie ciekły azot, młyn musi zostać rozbudowany o opcjonalnie dostępne urządzenie rozszerzające cryoPad. Innowacyjna technologia cryoPad pozwala na wybór i kontrolę określonej temperatury chłodzenia dla procesu mielenia w zakresie od - 100 do 0 °C.

For bead beating and wet grinding, the use of the external chiller set to 4 °C is a good choice, so that cell suspensions are efficiently cooled and heat from wet grinding processes is effectively dissipated.

Regulacja temperatury w oparciu o płyty termiczne

Chłodzenie i podgrzewanie materiału próbki jest realizowane za pomocą opatentowanej koncepcji płyt termicznych, dzięki czemu chłodzenie próbki za pomocą np. otwartych zbiorników z ciekłym azotem lub suchym lodem staje się zbędne. W schłodzenia, naczynia mielące są po prostu umieszczane na płytach termicznych. Gdy naczynia stykają się z płytami termicznymi, ciepło jest skutecznie przenoszone z lub do naczyń przez urządzenie termiczne. Opatentowana konstrukcja hermetycznie zamkniętego płynu pozwala na pracę młyna z różnymi płynami termicznymi, zapewniając elastyczną i bezpieczną regulację temperatury i wymagając jedynie minimalnego wysiłku ze strony użytkownika. W zależności od konfiguracji, która została zbudowana, temperatura płyt termicznych może być ustawiona w zakresie od - 100 do + 100 °C.

Młyn miksujący MM 500 control

Multi-cavity jars & adapter in the MM 500 control Bead Mill

Jednoczesne przetwarzanie kilku małych próbek jest możliwe dzięki naczyniom z wieloma dołkami i adapterowi do probówek reakcyjnych. Jest to typowe wymaganie, na przykład w zastosowaniach farmaceutycznych, chemicznych i biochemicznych. Naczynia z małymi dołkami dają nowe możliwości w badaniach mechanochemicznych, gdzie używa się niewielkich ilości substancji chemicznych.

Dołki w naczyniach mają owalny kształt, który zapewnia skuteczne mieszanie. Pomoce do nalewania umożliwiają bezpieczne przenoszenie próbek. Naczynia z wieloma dołkami są wykonane ze stali nierdzewnej, co zapewnia efektywne przenoszenie ciepła do lub z próbki.

Adapter mieści do 18 jednorazowych probówek reakcyjnych o pojemności 1,5 lub 2,0 ml (np. Eppendorf) lub dziewięć stalowych probówek o pojemności 2,0 ml. Dzięki dwóm stanowiskom mielenia, młynek MM 500 może przetwarzać do 36 próbek w jednym cyklu. Probówki stalowe o pojemności 2,0 ml powinny być używane, jeśli próbki muszą być zamrożone lub podgrzane, ponieważ polimerowe naczynia reakcyjne nie wytrzymują obciążeń mechanicznych w ekstremalnych temperaturach. Adapter jest wykonany z aluminium, dzięki czemu ciepło jest skutecznie przenoszone do i z probówek reakcyjnych.

Naczynia wielodołkowe 4 x 10 ml i 2 x 25 ml, wykonanie stal nierdzewna, zawiera pomoc do napełniania z PTFE.

Adapter na 18 zamykanych probówek 2 ml lub 9 stalowych naczyń 2 ml, wykonany z aluminium

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RETSCH dostarcza urządzenia wykorzystywane zarówno w nauce jak i w przemyśle do przygotowania próbki dla najróżniejszych metodo analitycznych, a także do analizy wielkości cząstki na potrzeby kontroli jakości czy też kontroli produkcji. Pamiętając o znanych słowach greckiego filozofa Arystotelesa „Całość to więcej niż suma jej składników” RETSCH rozwija urządzenia tak, aby poszczególne komponenty wysokiej jakości doskonale ze sobą współdziałały.

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Bead Mill - FAQ (często zadawane pytania)

Can RETSCH Ball Mills be considered as bead mills?

Yes, as the different ball mills work with agitation of small beads in liquid to minimize sample´s particle size or for cell disruption, RETSCH Mills can be regarded as bead mills. For Mixer Mills RETSCH offers special adapters designed for bead beating and cell disruption.

Is cooling important for bead mills?

Yes, cooling is crucial for bead mills assuring a good viscosity and ambient temperatures, so that temperature-sensitive substances are not evaporated or degraded