The goal for companies that manufacture products that are in a liquid form is to reduce the particle size and increase the dispersion. A way to achieve this is by using a wet grinding process, also known as wet milling, and incorporating specially designed equipment into your production. Custom Milling & Consulting LLC, has provided toll milling services and manufactured wet grinding equipment for companies that need to process wet materials.

How does the wet grinding process work?

The wet grinding process, also referenced as wet milling, can be looked at as a series of steps or “unit operations” that are used to manufacture raw materials into a finished product. These different stages involve several processes with various procedures that have been laid out and put into place.

Materials like ores, paints, coatings, adhesives, and ceramic raw materials can all be milled using a wet grinding process. One machine that revolutionized the industry was the horizontal media mill, it incorporates the latest technology in media milling.

A horizontal media mill is filled with media, charged and activated by a high-speed agitator. These things assist in separating large particles or large clumps of particles, known as agglomerates. As the agitator rotates, it transmits kinetic energy to the media, while the materials are pumped through the mill this energy is transmitted to the materials. The solid particles that are suspended in the liquids are reduced down by shearing, impact, crushing or attrition. They are simultaneously dispersed throughout the liquid by the high speed attrition of the shaft, fluidizer discs, and media. Products can be packaged up and be sent to market or be used with other materials to produce an end product.

The media you choose to load your mill with will depend on you application and the particle size that you want to achieve. There are several kinds of materials that media can be made from including; glass, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, steel and tungsten carbide. Factors that influence the ultimate particle size are the size of the grinding media, the number of passes through the mill, amount of time spent in the grinding chamber, and the speed of agitation.

Going through the wet grinding process and every step can prove to be cost effective for the manufacture. But some applications and materials can be more difficult and will need extra processing equipment. CMC has pre-mixers, dispersers, tanks, filters, and pump available to manufactures. With the steps and all the proper equipment in place production can run smoothly and efficiently.

Contact CMC at sales@cmcmilling.com to speak to a representative about our wet grinding process and what we can do to help increase your production.