What is ultrasonic Wet Milling and Micro-Grinding?

What is ultrasonic Wet Milling and Micro-Grinding?

Ultrasonic wet grinding is a material processing method that combines ultrasonic technology with wet grinding process. It is mainly used for the refinement and dispersion of granular materials. The following is a detailed introduction to its principles, equipment, applications and advantages:

Principle: In the wet grinding process, the material is usually mixed with an appropriate amount of liquid (such as water or other solvents) to form a slurry. Then, the ultrasonic generator is used to generate high-frequency vibration, and the electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy through the transducer, so that the ultrasonic energy is transmitted to the slurry. Under the action of ultrasonic waves, the liquid medium in the slurry will produce strong cavitation effect, mechanical vibration and stirring. The cavitation effect will form countless tiny bubbles in the liquid. When these bubbles collapse instantly, they will produce local high temperature, high pressure, strong shock waves and microjets, which can effectively impact and crush material particles and reduce their size. At the same time, mechanical vibration and stirring help to evenly disperse the material particles, prevent particle agglomeration, and further improve the grinding effect.

Equipment: It mainly includes ultrasonic generators, transducers, grinding containers and other parts. The ultrasonic generator is used to generate high-frequency electrical signals to provide energy for the entire system; the transducer converts the electrical signal into mechanical vibration and transmits the ultrasonic wave to the grinding medium; the grinding container is the place to hold the material and the grinding medium, and is usually made of corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant materials to meet the grinding needs of different materials.
Application

Nanomaterial preparation: When preparing nano-scale metals, ceramics, semiconductors and other materials, ultrasonic wet grinding can grind the initial coarse particles into nano-scale particles, which helps to control the size and shape of the particles and improve the performance of the materials.

Electronic material processing: For electronic materials such as electronic ceramics and magnetic materials, high-purity and fine-grained powders can be obtained by ultrasonic wet grinding, which is conducive to improving the performance and reliability of electronic components.
Biomedicine: In drug research and development and production, ultrasonic wet grinding can be used to grind drug raw materials into fine powder, increase the specific surface area of ​​drugs, and improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of drugs. In addition, it can also be used to prepare nano drug carriers, etc.

Paint and ink industry: Grind solid particles such as pigments and fillers into fine particle sizes so that they can be evenly dispersed in paints and inks, improve the covering power and gloss of the coating and the printing performance of the ink.

Advantages
High efficiency and energy saving: Compared with traditional grinding methods, ultrasonic wet grinding can achieve a higher grinding fineness in a shorter time, improve production efficiency, and because its energy is concentrated on the material particles, the energy consumption is relatively low.

Good particle refinement effect: The material particles can be ground to nanometer or submicron level, and the particle size distribution is relatively uniform, which can meet the strict requirements of high-end materials for particle fineness.

Gentle grinding process: Ultrasonic wet grinding is carried out in a liquid medium, avoiding the high temperature and mechanical stress that may be generated during dry grinding, and has little effect on the crystal structure and chemical properties of the material. It is suitable for some materials that are more sensitive to grinding conditions.

Green and environmental protection: The liquid medium used in the wet grinding process can usually be recycled, reducing dust pollution and waste generation, and meeting environmental protection requirements.