Are you searching for new paths and competent support for tailoring your powder?

The basis for every high-quality ceramic materials is an optimized powder. To obtain this, you need to coordinate the processing steps, starting with powder synthesis. The desired grain size and grain shape can be achieved in the subsequent milling process. Depending on requirements, the prepared powder undergoes homogenization and/or drying. In a spray granulation process, granules with good flow properties and good densification behavior during pressing are formed.

Das Bild zeigt den Wirbler und den Topf eines Intensivmischers der Firma Eirich
Das Bild zeigt den Wolframcarbid Mahleinsatz einer Scheibenwingmühle
Das Bild zeigt eine REM Aufnahme von Mahlperlen die am FGK entwickelt wurden

Our lengthy experience with various advanced ceramic materials and the various requirements of the starting materials resulting from them makes us the ideal cooperation partner for development of your powder processing route.

1. Comminution

To be able to manufacture a high-quality ceramic, you need to ensure optimally adjusted grain size, grain size distribution, and grain shape with the help of the appropriate milling units. The wide variety of size reduction units in our pilot facilities enables us to handle hard, brittle materials as well as soft, elastic materials. To increase the sintering activity, we often reduce the size of the starting materials to the submicron range. The agglomeration tendency increases with increasing specific surface area. To counter this and obtain a finely dispersed powder, we can, on request, use suitable dispersion aids to stabilize the powders for your application.

2. Homogenization

To achieve the desired product characteristics and reproducible processability, the prepared working mass must exhibit a uniform, homogeneous structure. Because the properties of the ceramic raw materials and hence the processing properties of these materials differ, it is important to select the right unit in each case. The goal is to produce a homogeneous mass of constant chemical and mineralogical composition.

3. Granulation

A widely used shaping process is dry pressing. With granulation, flowability and bulk density of the material can be increased and hence automatic processing improved. We offer tailored development for the preparation of optimized granules for your application. Our laboratory- and pilot-scale equipment is available to you for your development activities.

 

Our Laboratory and Pilot Facilities

Here, you will find a selection of our laboratory and pilot equipment for powder technology. If you are interested in using our technical facilities, we would be happy to advise you individually.

Jaw Crushers (Fa. Fritsch)

Feeding piece size:
up to 50 mm
Loading condition of the material:
damp to dry
Achievable final fineness:
< 2 mm
Gap width:
variable from 1 - 15 mm opening width; reflects the average grain size of the broken material
Jaw material:
Hardened tool steel (Cr-Ni steel)
Approved hardness of the feed material:
soft to hard-brittle

Cross Impact Mill (Fa. Retsch)

Feeding piece size:
< 15 mm
Loading condition of the material:
dry
Achievable final fineness:
< 100 µm
Speed:
2850 U/min
Sieve ring material:
stainless steel
Approved hardness of the feed material:
soft to medium-hard
Operating mode:
discontinuous and continuous

Planetary Ball Mill (Fa. Fritsch)

Feeding piece size:
material-dependent
Loading condition of the material:
dry or wet
Achievable final fineness:
depending on material and grinding conditions < 1 µm
Speed:
continuously adjustable up to 360 rpm
Grinding bowl characteristics:
sintered corundum (volume: 500 ml)
Zirconium oxide (volume: 500 ml)
Agate (volume: 50 ml)
Simultaneous grinding in up to four grinding bowls possible
Grinding ball sizes:
d = 10, 20, 30 and 40 mm
Approved hardness of the feed material:
soft to hard-brittle

Agitating Ball Mill LMK 4 (Fa. Netzsch)

Milling chamber volume:
3,6 – 4,0 l
Maximum feed size:
100 µm
Batch sizes:
10 up to 60 l
Grinding ball fractions (Ce-stabilized ZrO2):
0,7 – 1,2 mm
1,2 – 1,7 mm
1,7 – 2,4 mm

Agitating Ball Mill MiniCer (Fa. Netzsch)

Milling chamber volume:
0,16 l
Maximum feed size:
150 µm
Achievable final fineness:
Real size reduction: d50 approx. 1 μm
Dispersing of nanoscale primary particles up to d50 approx. 0.05 μm
Batch size:
200 - 2000 ml
Grinding ball fractions (YTZ):
1,80 - 2 mm
1,20 - 4 mm
0,80 - 1 mm
0,25 - 0,35 mm
Grinding ball fractions (Ce-stabilized ZrO2):
0,7 – 1,2 mm
1,2 – 1,7 mm

Three-Roller Mill Exakt 80E/0333 (Fa. Exakt)

Loading condition of the material:
Suspensions, pastes
Roller material:
Silicon carbide
Heatable:
up to 90 °C
Roller length:
200 mm
Roller diameter:
80 mm
Material passage:
10-20 l/h
Adjustable gap width:
Smallest roller spacing 5 µm
= finest distribution
= lowest material throughput
Mean roller distance 50 µm
= medium fine trituration
= medium material throughput
Maximum roller distance >95 µm
= coarsest trituration
= highest material throughput
Control:
gap- and force-controlled

Eirich Mixer RV02-E (Fa. Eirich)

Field of application:
Homogenization and mixing of dry and wet mixtures; plasticizing of soft masses
Speed:
Plate: 32 - 64 rpm
Whirler: 70 - 4500 rpm
Tools:
Pin whirler, Knife whirler
Capacity:
10 l or 16 kg

Planetron Mixer (Fa. Ika)

Field of application:
Homogenization of dry and wet mixtures; plasticizing of soft to stiff masses
Capacity:
3 l
Remark:
Vacuum, heating or cooling possible

Dissolver (Fa. Pendraulik)

Field of application:
Homogenization and mixing of suspensions
Capacity:
depending on the vessel (10 l - 50 l possible)

Ultra Turax T25, T50 (Fa. Ika)

Field of application:
Homogenization and mixing of suspensions, emulsions
Speed:
4.000 - 24.000 rpm
Capacity:
up to 50 l, depending on dispersion tool and vessel

Double-shaft Z-mixer High-Performance Kneading (Fa. Ika)

Field of application:
Homogenization and production of wet mixtures; plasticizing of soft masses
Tools:
Double kneading shafts
Capacity:
min. 3 kg
max. 6 kg

Pellet Plate TR04 (Fa. Eirich)

Field of application:
Production of pellets
Speed:
20 - 400 rpm
Tilting angle:
40° - 70°

Spray Dryer (Fa. Büchi)

Field of application:
Production of spray granules
Drying temperature:
stepless up to 200 °C
Feeding grain size:
< 63 µm
Loading condition of the material:
well flowing, non-adhesive suspension
min. feeding quantity:
100 ml suspension
Powder yield:
50 up to 90 % at max. 1 kg/h
max. attainable diameter of the spray grain:
20 µm (usually 5-10 µm)

Spray Tower ICF Industrie CIBEC

Field of application:
Production of spray granules
Drying temperature:
up to 400 °C
Evaporation capacity:
3 - 6 l/h (depending on material properties, type of suspension and operating temperature)
Loading condition of the material:
well flowing, non-adhesive suspension
min. feeding quantity:
10 l suspension
Powder yield:
30-50 % (depending on material)
max. attainable diameter of the spray grain:
ca. 60-100 µm

Freeze Dryer Gamma 2-20 (Fa. Christ)

Loading condition of the material:
Suspensions, solutions
Ice condenser capacity:
20 kg
Material quantity:
5 trays each containing 300 ml within the ice condenser chamber
7 trays each containing 1500 ml outside the ice condenser chamber

Micro-Jet-Reactor (Fa. Sythesechemie / Fa. Prominent)

Field of application:
chemical precipitation synthesis of fine-scale powders
Control:
Flow volumes, pH control
Pump pressure:
max. 64 bar
Delivery rate:
1 - 10 l/h
Nozzle width:
100 up to 300 µm
Special features:
Pre-heatable reaction solutions