Laboratory mills, used primarily for sample prep prior to analysis, use particle size reduction (comminution) to grind or homogenize wet, dry, hard, soft, elastic, brittle, and fibrous materials. Mills and grinders are used in labs in widely varying scientific areas, including chemistry, pharmaceuticals, food analysis, materials testing, and life science. Disk, hammer, mortar, planetary ball, rotor, and cutting mills are available to achieve coarse, mid-range, and fine results, all the way down to the nano range, <0.1 µm. Cryogenic mills, or freezer mills, are a type of unit that freezes a material prior to reducing its particle size.
What to consider when choosing a laboratory mill?
When purchasing a mill, power, speed, and cleanability are useful parameters; however, it is also important to keep in mind the instrument’s throughput, reproducibility, and yield, as well as the option of a cooling system, if necessary.
Compare and request a quote for laboratory mills from various manufacturers:
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| Company | RETSCH | RETSCH | RETSCH | RETSCH |
| Item | Mixer Mill MM 500 Nano | Mortar Grinder RM 200 | Ultra Centrifugal Mill ZM 300 | XRD-Mill McCrone Laboratory Mill |
| Citations | | | | |
| Catalog Number | MM 500 nano | RM 200 | ZM 300 | MCCrone |
| Price | | | | |
| Description | The mixer mill MM 500 nano is a compact, versatile bench-top unit which has been developed specially for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding of up to 2 x 45 ml sample material within seconds. With a maximum frequency of 35 Hz, it generates enough energy to produce particles in the nanometer range. The The mixer mill MM 500 nano is a compact, versatile bench-top unit which has been developed specially for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding of up to 2 x 45 ml sample material within seconds. With a maximum frequency of 35 Hz, it generates enough energy to produce particles in the nanometer range. The robust high-performance drive makes the mill suitable for long-term grinding processes up to 99 hours. Hence, the MM 500 nano is the first mixer mill in the market to provide a real alternative to grinding in a planetary ball mill – with more comfortable handling and less warming effects. - powerful grinding by impact and friction with up to 35 Hz
- pulverization of two samples down to the nanometer range < 0.1 micron
- multi-cavity jars 2x 25 ml or 4 x 10 ml available
- adapter for keeping 2 ml plastic tubes or 2 ml steel tubes available
- suitable for long-term grinding processes up to 99 h
- suitable for mechanochemistry applications
- 3 different grinding modes (dry, wet or cryogenic)
- memory for 12 SOPs and 4 program cycles
- Screw-Lock jars, pressure-tight up to 5 bar
GrindControl to measure pressure and temperature available - grinding under inert gas (optional)
- jar design allows full use of the volume, also for wet grinding
- jars remain conveniently clamped for periodic sample extraction or visual checks
... Read More | The Mortar Grinder RM 200 can mix and homogenize powders, suspension and pastes even with high viscosity. The RM 200 is suitable for the proper and reproducible sample preparation to analytical fineness.
It substitutes cumbersome hand mortars by a high performance drive with electronic control. TheThe Mortar Grinder RM 200 can mix and homogenize powders, suspension and pastes even with high viscosity. The RM 200 is suitable for the proper and reproducible sample preparation to analytical fineness.
It substitutes cumbersome hand mortars by a high performance drive with electronic control. The grinding set can be cooled and heated and is very easy to clean. Grinding sets of various material qualities are available which can be exchanged easily for optimum adaptation to various grinding tasks.
Features - Dry, wet and cryogenic grinding
- Reproducible results due to adjustable pestle and scraper pressure
- Closed, dust tight grinding chamber with windows
- Easy exchange of mortar and pestle without tools
- Performance display for load cotrol
- Adjustable pestle and scraper pressure
- Wide range of materials for contamination free grinding
- 3 scraper materials (vulkollan, beech wood, PTFE)
... Read More | The Ultra Centrifugal Mill ZM 300 is a high speed rotor mill with unmatched performance. It is used for the rapid size reduction of soft to medium-hard and fibrous materials.
Because of the efficient size reduction technique the ZM 300 ensures the gentle preparation of analytical samples in a very The Ultra Centrifugal Mill ZM 300 is a high speed rotor mill with unmatched performance. It is used for the rapid size reduction of soft to medium-hard and fibrous materials.
Because of the efficient size reduction technique the ZM 300 ensures the gentle preparation of analytical samples in a very short time. The comprehensive range of accessories including a large variety of ring sieves and rotors as well as collection systems makes the Ultra Centrifugal Mill a versatile instrument that can be easily adapted to varying applications. The optional Vibratory Feeder is load-controlled via an interface and ensures a uniform grind at maximum output rate. With thousands of installations, the ZM 300 has become a standard for food and feeds, for the chemical industry as well as for agricultural testing.
Features - Powerdrive with optimally matched frequency converter and 3-phase motor
- Comfortable parameter setting via touch- display and ergonomic 1-button operation
- operational speed up to 23,000 rpm
- temperature indication and load indication
- Wide range of accessories including various collection and feeding systems, rotors and sieves
- Gentle and very rapid size reduction by pre- and fine grinding in one run
- Wide speed range
- Patented cassette system for maximum sample recovery and easy cleaning, special 600 ml cassette available
- Easily exchangeable grinding and sieve inserts
- Defined final fineness due to ring sieves sieves with aperture sizes from 0.08 - 10 mm
- Comfortable safety housing with automatic cover closure
- Motor compartment and electronics protected against dust and material penetration
... Read More | The XRD-Mill McCrone was specially developed for the preparation of samples for subsequent X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mill is used for applications in geology, chemistry, mineralogy and materials science, quality control as well as R&D. Because of its unique grinding motion, the XRD-Mill McCrone The XRD-Mill McCrone was specially developed for the preparation of samples for subsequent X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mill is used for applications in geology, chemistry, mineralogy and materials science, quality control as well as R&D. Because of its unique grinding motion, the XRD-Mill McCrone is particularly effective for this analytical method: The 48 cylindrical grinding elements grind the samples gently via friction. The result is a short grinding time with almost no sample loss and an exceptionally narrow particle size distribution. The crystal lattice is almost entirely preserved during grinding operation, a pre-requisite for meaningful X-ray diffraction results.
Features: - Crystal lattice preserved during grinding operation
- Very narrow and reproducible particle size distribution
- Minimal cross contamination
- Compact, bench-top sized model
- Suitable for dry and wet grinding
... Read More |
| Principle | Impact and Friction | Pressure and Friction | Impact and Shearing | Friction |
| Sample Size | ≤10 mm | < 8 mm | < 10 mm | <0.5 mm |
| Sample Type | Hard, Medium-Hard, Soft, Brittle, Elastic or Fibrous | Soft, Hard, Brittle or Pasty | Soft, Medium-Hard, Brittle or Fibrous | Medium-hard, Hard, Brittle, Fibrous |
| Applications | mechanochemistry, mechanical alloying, size reduction, mixing, homogenization, cryogenic grinding; agriculture, biology, chemistry / plastics, construction materials, engineering / electronics, environment / recycling, food, geology / metallurgy, glass / ceramics, medicine / pharmaceuticals | Grinding, Mixing and Triturating - Dry and Wet: Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry / Plastics, Construction Materials, Food, Geology / Metallurgy, Glass / Ceramics, Medicine / Pharmaceuticals | Inquire | Grinding, Mixing and Triturating, Dry and Wet |
| Speed | 3 to 35 Hz | 100 min-1 | 6,000 to 23,000 min-1 | 1000 to 1500 min-1 |
| Rotor Type | grinding jar and balls | mortar and pestle | 6, 12 or 24 tooth rotor, titanium for heavy-metal free grinding or tungsten carbide coated for abrasive materials available | <0.5 mm |
| Final Fineness | ~0.1 µm | < 10 um | < 40 µm | <1 µm |
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