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 | Planetary Ball Mill PM 100 | High Energy Ball Mill Emax | Mixer Mill MM 500 vario | Ultra Centrifugal Mill ZM 300 |
| Citations | | | | |
| Catalog Number | PM 100 | Emax | MM 500 vario | ZM 300 |
| Price | | | | |
| Description | Planetary Ball Mills are used wherever the highest degree of fineness is required. Apart from the classical mixing and size reduction processes, the mills also meet all the technical requirements for colloidal grinding and have the energy input necessary for mechanical alloying processes. The Planetary Ball Mills are used wherever the highest degree of fineness is required. Apart from the classical mixing and size reduction processes, the mills also meet all the technical requirements for colloidal grinding and have the energy input necessary for mechanical alloying processes. The extremely high centrifugal forces of the Planetary Ball Mills result in very high pulverization energy and therefore short grinding times.
The PM 100 CM is a convenient benchtop model with 1 grinding station. It operates in centrifugal mode mode, which leads to a more gentle size reduction process with less abrasion.
Features - Powerful and quick grinding down to nano range
- Perfect stability on lab bench thanks to FFCS technology
- Innovative counter weight and imbalance sensor for unsupervised operation
- Gentle grinding in centrifugal mode
- Comfortable parameter setting via display and ergonomic 1-button operation
- Automatic grinding chamber ventilation
- 10 SOPs can be stored
- Programmable starting time
- Power failure backup ensures storage of remaining grinding time
- Reproducible results due to energy and speed control
- Suitable for long-term trials and continuous use
- 2 different grinding modes (dry and wet)
- Optional pressure and temperature measuring system PM GrindControl
- Measurement of energy input
- Wide range of materials for contamination free grinding
- Safety Slider for safe operation
... Read More | The High Energy Ball Mill Emax from Retsch achieves fine particles in the nanometer range through high friction and impact, while maintaining a narrow particle size distribution through thorough sample mixture. This mill not only reduces grinding time, but also removes the need to cool down. The The High Energy Ball Mill Emax from Retsch achieves fine particles in the nanometer range through high friction and impact, while maintaining a narrow particle size distribution through thorough sample mixture. This mill not only reduces grinding time, but also removes the need to cool down. The High Energy Ball Mill Emax can be used across various application fields including agriculture, biology, chemistry, environmental, geology, pharmaceuticals, and more.
Features : - faster and finer grinding than any other ball mills
- speed of 2000 min-1
- unique water cooling system
- temperature-controlled grinding
- narrow particle size distribution
- patented drive concept
- range of jar materials allow for contamination free grinding
... Read More | The Mixer Mill MM 500 vario is a true multipurpose mill designed for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding of small volumes up to 6 x 20 ml. It mixes and homogenizes powders and suspensions with a frequency of 35 Hz within seconds – unbeatably fast and easy to operate. It is also very useful for The Mixer Mill MM 500 vario is a true multipurpose mill designed for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding of small volumes up to 6 x 20 ml. It mixes and homogenizes powders and suspensions with a frequency of 35 Hz within seconds – unbeatably fast and easy to operate. It is also very useful for mechanosynthesis applications and a grinding time up to 99 h. It is also the most suitable instrument for biological applications such as cell disruption for nucleic acids or protein extraction with a sample batch capacity of up to 50 samples- powerful grinding by impact and friction with up to 35 Hz
- pulverization of two samples down to 5 micron
- adapter for keeping 1.5, 2 or 5 ml plastic tubes or 2 ml steel tubes available
- adapter for keeping 4 x 50 ml conical tubes or 30 ml wide-mouth bottles available
- adapter for keeping 4 x 5 ml steel tubes available
- suitable for long-term grinding processes up to 8 h
- suitable for mechanochemistry applications
- 3 different grinding modes (dry, wet or cryogenic)
- memory for 8 SOPs and 4 program cycles
- Screw-Top jars from 5-50 ml
10 ml PMMA jars for RAMAN applications
... 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 |
| Principle | Impact and Friction | Impact and Friction | Impact and Friction | Impact and Shearing |
| Sample Size | < 10 mm | < 5 mm | ≤8 mm | < 10 mm |
| Sample Type | Soft, Hard, Brittle or Fibrous - Dry or Wet | Medium-hard, hard, brittle, fibrous - dry or wet | Hard, Medium-Hard, Soft, Brittle, Elastic or Fibrous | Soft, Medium-Hard, Brittle or Fibrous |
| Applications | Pulverizing, Mixing, Homogenizing and Colloidal Milling: Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry / Plastics, Construction Materials, Engineering / Electronics, Environment / Recycling, Geology / Metallurgy, Glass / Ceramics, Medicine / Pharmaceuticals | Nano grinding, size reduction, homogenizing, mechanical alloying, colloidal milling, high energy comminution | 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, cell disruption | Inquire |
| Speed | 100 to 650 min-1 | 300 to 2,000 min-1 | 3 to 35 Hz | 6,000 to 23,000 min-1 |
| Rotor Type | grinding jar and balls | Inquire | grinding jar and balls | 6, 12 or 24 tooth rotor, titanium for heavy-metal free grinding or tungsten carbide coated for abrasive materials available |
| Final Fineness | < 1 um or < 0.1 um for Colloidal Grinding | < 80 nm | ~5 µm | < 40 µm |
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