FAQ

Frequently asked questions about colloid mill:

• Can the colloid mill mix and pulverize at the same time. (For instance, pulverize paraffin chips and evenly distribute them across the volume).
  Yes, it can. Dispersion is as fine as 1 micron and the product will be homogeneous and liquid.

• What percentage of solid phase can the mill accept?
  Only the CLM-22 mill can accept solid phase up to 6%.
• What kind of dispersion phase will the product be after processing with the colloid mill?
  The degree of pulverization and the pumping characteristics of the material may vary depending on the physical and mechanical properties of the material and the carrier phase. We will be able to be more specific when we see you recipe.
• How many cycles are required to obtain dispersion of 1 micron?
  We will need to see the recipe to answer that.
• What is the size distribution of the particles ground? Will larger than required size particles make it to the output, say, with the limit of 50 – 80 micron?
  Precision of the grinding process is adjusted both by the gap between the rotor and the stator, and the number of processing cycles. The two factors can make dispersion of 1 micron. To obtain the correct finesse and precision of grinding we will study your recipe and will develop the correct process for the application.
• How is the gap between the mill’s teeth adjusted?
  [sociallocker]Can the client adjust the fineness of grinding? What sort of precision can be expected in this case?
  To change precision of the grinding process, it is simpler to run the product through the mill again, in cycles.
  You can also adjust the gap between the rotor and the stator of the mill, but it is important to consider that it is not the teeth that do the grinding, but the cavitation process due to hydraulic shock, which forms due to teeth blocking the liquid’s path.
  There are two mechanisms to adjust the gap:
  * Pressing nuts — using this requires disassembly of the mill.
  * Movable part bolts — these do not require disassembly. If you expect to often adjust the mill, you should order this option.
  If the procedure is done correctly, the precision will be just as fine as our professionals obtain: up to 1 micron.[/sociallocker]
• What is the type of the mill?
  Rotary.

• GlobeCore mill capacity?
  The nominal feed in m³/hour is based on water:

  	CLM-22	CLM-18	CLM-4
  Throughput	22 m³	18 m³	4 m³

  Consider also that the required grinding precision is sometimes unattainable with one pass, therefore, the material is often processed in cycles, which consequently drops the total capacity by a certain factor. Contact us to discuss the recipe together.

• What are the construction materials?Construction material options are:
  Standard: the cutting part is made of 40X steel, the case is made of St3 steel.
  The below options are possible:
  cutting part: 12Х18Н10Т steel; case: 12Х18Н10Т steel.
  cutting part: 95Х18 steel; case: 12Х18Н10Т steel.
  We can also make special mills for pharmaceutical, chemical (where aggressive substances are concerned) and food industry from the client’s material.
• What is the power consumption?
  The drives consume: 45, 11 and 5.5 kW in CLM-22, CLM-18 and CLM-4 respectively.
• What are the dimensions?
  See this table:

  	CLM-22	CLM-18	CLM-4
  length, mm	1440	1000	960
  width, mm	430	400	310
  height, mm	650	460	400

• What are the delivery options?
  The mill ships worldwide after down payment.
• What is the manufacturing time
  From 30 to 45 business days. This should be considered on a case by case basis: the model you need might already be in stock.
  
  
• Is the device protected from abrasion? What is the expected life time?
  The warranty on the colloid mill is 12 months.
  The projected life time is over 10 years in non-abrasive environments. In that time, many hundred tons of emulsion will pass through the mill.
  To mix abrasives, we can manufacture a mill from hard steel grade with special seals.
• Why is there a leak in the mill?
  Most likely the gasket is worn. It should be either pressed in with a bushing or replaced. Seals can be used instead of gaskets at customer request.
• Can the mill be used to produce dry paint?
  Not usually it can’t. The colloid mill is wet grinding device.
• What is the homogenizer output pressure?
  Within 2 – 3 bar.
• Can it mix starch and water?
  Yes. Send is the recipe so we can experimentally refine it.
• Can the mill mix bitumen and water?
  Sure. That’s what we have been doing for many years.
• What kind of information is required to place an order for the mill?
  Please fill out the questionnaire.
  Give us the basic data: required capacity, fineness of dispersion, description and proportion of the materials (chemical and physical), viscosity (is a must), presence and size of solid particles, whether explosion proofing is required, the required electric power standard, adjustment options and required compliance with special norms and regulations, if any.
• Can the mill process whole fruit?No. Large fruit, such as apples or pears, must be processed to remove stalk and seeds. Berries, however, such is raspberry or strawberry, can be processed whole. Cherry, plums and apricots need to have the seed removed.
• Should the feedstock be pre-mixed with syrup or can the mill handle that?
  Mixing fruit with syrup is the direct function of the mill. Fruit and berries are loaded into a hopper, and the syrup can also be fed to the hopper. If necessary, the syrup can be pre-heated.

Myths:

• Does water really mix with bitumen? The school textbook says it is not possible!
  Well, it is not possible in school, that much is true. However, the colloid mill can mix the unmixable on a molecular level. It has to do with the sophisticated words like “cavitation”, “dispersion”, “molecular shear” etc. Even the most unmixable substances can be mixed, such as bitumen and water: to do so, an emulsifier is injected, which envelops the water globules and prevents them from coagulating, making the emulsion stable.

• The colloid mill can mix anything, like glass with nuts and china.
  🙂
  The colloid mill is a wet grinding device, that is, input and output must be liquid. Dry or solid components may be present in the input, in the correct proportions, so that the liquid components makes the product fluid.
  The colloid mill is a micro-mill of sorts. That is, the input may contain 5 mm particles, and the mill will grind them to about 1 micron. This means that for grinding china, other machinery is more appropriate. Highly abrasive dry material can be liquified and passed through the mill, but this solution is not really elegant.