# Ball mill prototype



## perman666 (Apr 10, 2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVkIQbjsDLY&feature=youtu.be

I have made new Ball Mill machine for myself.
Total useful volume is 25 liter.
Working on 110 or 220V.
Rotation is regulated from 5-50rpm.
All material is stainless stell, 4mm thick.

I have tested with 10kg of MLCC'sand got ultrafine dust after 8 days.


if anyone is interested, I can make this one or similar ( smaller/bigger ) for forum members.
This one on link is 400$ + shipping.

Cheers!


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## Anonymous (Apr 10, 2014)

What's the wattage of that motor please?


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## goldsilverpro (Apr 10, 2014)

The way you're doing it, it seems like more of a grinder than a ball mill. Eight days is absurd. You have this skinny little tumbler running at 50RPM. If the tumbler were about 18" in diameter and running about 5RPM, with 2" balls, you might have that's viable.


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## perman666 (Apr 11, 2014)

Motor is 85W.

What is your point goldsilverrpro? What is absurd?


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## necromancer (Apr 11, 2014)

8 days.


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## perman666 (Apr 11, 2014)

necromancer said:


> 8 days.



Is it too much?

I try ball mill with non standard MLCC's, structure is from barium and titanium oxide.
Should be faster maybe ?


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## necromancer (Apr 11, 2014)

question should be.....

how do you feel about waiting 8 days ?

they can be smashed by pounding them inside a 8" metal pipe sealed at one end and crushing with a smaller 4" or 6" pipe in just a few minutes


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## perman666 (Apr 11, 2014)

necromancer said:


> question should be.....
> 
> how do you feel about waiting 8 days ?
> 
> they can be smashed by pounding them inside a 8" metal pipe sealed at one end and crushing with a smaller 4" or 6" pipe in just a few minutes



Yes they maybe can be smashed with pipes but I work with proffesional tools, not with pipes!
I process over 50kg MLCC/month so Ball Mill is cheapest solution. Only ultrafine powder is acceptable.
And 8-9 days is not a problem to wait.


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## g_axelsson (Apr 11, 2014)

A proper ball mill would have a speed that brings the balls up almost to the top of the circle and falling from that height. The higher (larger diameter) it is the further the balls falls and the harder the impact on what's being crushed.
When it is working on the right speed there are no need for lifters, the centrifugal force brings the balls up to the top and then they fall back again. Too high speed and it just get stuck on the inside by the centrifugal force. Too low and it just rolls along the bottom.

For the proper speed, use the formula / calculator on this page.
https://www.sagmilling.com/tools_millspeed

Larger ball mills have rubber lining, keeps down noise and protects the inside from the milling media. The product is crushed between the balls, not between the balls and the wall. You also need enough balls so there will be something to impact.

As so much else, there is a ton of details to learn even about such a simple thing as a ball mill, when you start to look into the details.

Göran


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## necromancer (Apr 11, 2014)

as long as your happy 8)


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## Anonymous (Apr 11, 2014)

goldsilverpro said:


> The way you're doing it, it seems like more of a grinder than a ball mill. Eight days is absurd. You have this skinny little tumbler running at 50RPM. If the tumbler were about 18" in diameter and running about 5RPM, with 2" balls, you might have that's viable.



I completely concur with GSP on this. You've got the engineering principle wrong here.

Edited for spelling.


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## goldsilverpro (Apr 12, 2014)

http://www.goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=3107&hilit=ball+mill+formula

I meant to say about 50RPM instead of 5RPM. However, in any case, the proper speed and diameter should be calculated.

You're grinding chip capacitors, which are tiny. If you're satisfied with it taking 8 days, that is fine, but I know that I would want it done much faster. Have you tried larger material?


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## perman666 (Apr 12, 2014)

No, don't have any larger material for now.
I am building another ball mill like this one.

I have never seen ball mill in practice, only on youtube.

What other purposes it have except MLCC's ? Flatpacks?!


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## Anonymous (Apr 12, 2014)

perman666 said:


> I process over 50kg MLCC/month so Ball Mill is cheapest solution. Only ultrafine powder is acceptable.
> And 8-9 days is not a problem to wait.



I've got to say that if I was processing 50Kg of MLC per month then I wouldn't be looking for the cheapest option for anything, I'd be looking for the most effective and likely to reduce the wastage to an absolute minimum 8) 

Wow 50Kg per month that's an awful lot of silver and Palladium assuming you're getting IT grade product. Gratz Sir.


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## perman666 (Apr 13, 2014)

Well,

I have focused on MLCC's because I found that they have best ratio
of invested money/work/time from my side.

Also, I have already great collection of other E-scrap but
don't have time to work with that.


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