Achieve optimal ball milling processes with GrindControl
The GrindControl system continuously measures and records the pressure and temperature inside the grinding jar. This gives users clear insight into the milling process and ensures reliable, reproducible conditions. By monitoring these key variables, sample preparation becomes more efficient, temperature sensitive materials are protected, and stable conditions for colloidal or long term grinding are maintained.
GrindControl also supports demanding applications such as mechanical alloying and mechanochemical synthesis by enabling precise process control.
GrindControl is available for the Mixer Mills MM 500 nano/control, the High Energy Ball Mill Emax, and planetary ball mills. It consists of a hardware measurement unit and analysis software.
Monitoring temperature and pressure during grinding is essential for both research and quality control.
It helps to improve:
Quality: Temperature strongly influences material properties. Monitoring ensures consistent sample quality.
Efficiency: Temperature and pressure significantly influence the grinding outcomes of many materials, as well as the results of mechanochemical processes. Real-time monitoring enables precise control of operating conditions.
Safety: High temperatures and pressures can pose risks. Monitoring keeps the process within safe limits.
Mechanochemical insights / Error detection: Sudden changes in temperature or pressure may indicate chemical reactions or process deviations. Continuous monitoring enables early detection, better understanding of mechanochemical processes, and quick troubleshooting.
The GrindControl system is available for the Planetary Ball Mills, the Mixer mills MM500 nano/control, and Emax. It includes hardware for pressure and temperature measurement plus analysis software.
De GrindControl software is een klein, intuïtief programma, dat eenvoudig te installeren is op een computer. De software registreert de doorgestuurde metingen van druk en temperatuur en bewaakt ze in real time tijdens de meting. Gegevens kunnen geëxporteerd worden in .pdf of .csv formaat na de meting.
Meer software kenmerken:
Monitoring pressure and temperature provides valuable insight into what happens inside the grinding jar. GrindControl is widely used to investigate material syntheses such as mechanical alloying and other mechanochemical reactions.
A mechanochemical synthesis was performed in an MM 500 nano using a 125 ml stainless steel jar with GrindControl. The reactants and 32 × 10 mm balls were milled at 20 Hz under air.
After about 20 seconds of milling, an ignition event occurred, leading to a pressure increase to approx. 730 mbar and a temperature rise. GrindControl captured the ignition point precisely – the key parameter for this self-propagating mechanochemical synthesis reaction (MSR). [7]
When processing temperature sensitive materials (e.g., APIs, vitamins, volatile compounds), it is crucial to avoid for example exceeding 30 °C. GrindControl ensures safe homogenization without thermal degradation.
In wet grinding, long grinding times and high energy input cause significant heat and with temperature often pressure builds up, especially when solvents like alcohols are used. Monitoring both parameters, temperature and pressure increases safety and simplifies the optimal setting of grinding breaks.
Wanneer kogelmolens gebruikt worden om chemische processen om te zetten, zijn specifieke temperatuur- of drukomstandigheden vereist om de gewenste eigenschappen van het eindproduct te bereiken. Druk- en temperatuursmetingen kunnen gebruikt worden om de omstandigheden te bestuderen waaronder specifieke reacties plaatsvinden.
Bezoek onze toepassingsdatabase om de beste oplossing voor uw monstervoorbereiding of analyse te vinden.
A Bluetooth transmitter integrated into electronic unit of the lid sends pressure and temperature data to the PC using a secure industrial protocol. A protective filter prevents contamination of the pressure sensor. The GrindControl software records all data in real time and stores them in a consecutive list. Measurements can be exported as .csv for further processing.
| Toepassingen | pressure and temperature measuring for Planetary Ball Mills, Emax and Mixer Mills MM 500 nano/control |
| Toepassingsdomein | Milieu / Recycling, biologie, bouwmaterialen, chemie / kunststoffen, engineering / electronica, geneesmiddel / medicijnen, geologie / metallurgie, glas / keramiek, landbouw, material synthesis, voedsel |
| Meetbereiken | gas pressure: 0 - 500 kPa (5 bar) temperature: -20°C - +100 °C |
| Volume maalkamer | 125 ml (MM); 50 ml & 500 ml (PM) |
| Droog malen | Ja |
| Nat malen | Ja |
| Cryogeen malen | yes min. -20 °C |
| Maalbekertypes | Screw-Lock (MM) and EasyFit jars (PM) |
| Materiaal van maalwerktuigen | hardened stainless steel, zirkoniumoxide |
| Maalbeker maten | 125 ml (MM); 50 -500 ml (PM) |
| Transmission frequency | 5 /s |
| Interface | |
| Gegevens electriciteit | battery (up to 90 h operation time) |
| Toebehoren | opening aid, cleaning tools, o-ring, PC-software (PC not included), filter, (lid insert not included) |
| Netto gewicht | lid with sensor unit 360 g (MM) 1780 g / 1140 g(PM) |
| Standaarden | CE |
| Technical requirements | PC with Windows 11 and Bluetooth 5.0 or higher |
| Software | live monitoring of measurement data, full measurement protocol, storable templates, list of performed measurements, data export in .pdf and .csv |
Onder voorbehoud van technische wijzigingen en eventuele fouten
[8] Reaction scheme and performance of the experiments: Dr. Matej Balaz, Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS).