Powder Technology 105 Ž1999.

382–388
www.elsevier.comrlocaterpowtec

Determination of the most important grinding mechanism in stirred

media mills by calculating stress intensity and stress number
Arno Kwade
Kwade Schwedes Zerkleinerungstechnik, Alte Kreisstraße 15, D-38159 Vechelde, Germany

Abstract

Based on the motion of the grinding media in stirred media mills with disc stirrer different grinding mechanisms are possible: product
particles can be stressed by grinding media which are accelerated from the stirrer shaft towards the grinding chamber wall ŽA., which are
pressed against the chamber wall because of the centrifugal acceleration ŽB. and which move in tangential direction with high velocities
and collide with grinding media with lower velocities ŽC.. The importance of the three different grinding mechanisms can be determined
by evaluating the respective stress intensity and the respective number of stress events per unit time. The theoretical investigations
showed, that the product particles are broken mainly by stress mechanism C. This finding was confirmed by experimental investigations
concerning the comminution of limestone in a stirred media mill.

´ ´
Resume

´´
Du fait du mouvement des elements broyeurs dans un broyeur a` billes avec agitateur a` disques, trois phenomenes
´ ` de broyage peuvent
ˆ identifies.
etre ´ ´ Les particules peuvent etre ˆ soumises a` contraintes par des billes, qui sont soit accelerees
´ ´ ´ depuis l’agitateur vers la paroi de
la chambre de broyage ŽA., soit comprimees ´ contre la paroi du fait de l’acceleration
´´ centrifuge ŽB. ou par des billes a` grande vitesse en
mouvement tangentiel heurtant des billes de vitesse plus faible ŽC.. L’importance de ces trois phenomenes ´ ` ˆ determinee
peut etre ´ ´ en
´
evaluant l’intensite´ respective des contraintes ainsi que la frequence
´ ´
respective des efforts. Les etudes ´
theoriques montrent que les
´
particules cassent essentiellement du fait des contraintes resultant ´
du cas C. Ces resultats ´ experimentalement
furent confirmes ´ dans le cas
du broyage de calcaire dans un broyeur agite´ a` billes. q 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Stirred media mill; Grinding mechanism; Stress intensity; Stress number

1. Introduction acting on a grinding medium or by the kinetic energy of a

It is well known that stirred media mills are capable to
produce a product fineness in the micron and sub-micron
range. But it is still not clear, where in the mill and in
which way the particles are stressed and broken. Two
conditions have to be fulfilled in order to break a sufficient
quantity of product particles in a certain time. Firstly, the
number of stress events in the mill per unit time, i.e., the
number of grinding media collisions per unit time, has to
be high enough, and secondly, the intensity at a high
percentage of the stress events must be sufficient to break
the feed particles and the resulting fragments. Thus, the
stress mechanism which is responsible for the high effi-
ciency of stirred media mills must appear very frequently.
Moreover, the intensity acting on the particles must be
high enough. According to Schonert¨ w1,2x, the intensity of
grinding media mills can be described either by the force
grinding medium.
Therefore, the most important stress mechanism can be
found by calculating how often each of the possible stress
events can appear in the mill and by determining the stress
intensity Ži.e., forces and energies. acting at each of the
possible stress events. The knowledge of the grinding
mechanism or grinding mechanisms responsible for the
good performance of stirred media mills can be very useful
for optimization of the mill geometry and of the operating
parameters as well as for scale-up calculations.
2. Number of particles stressed at one stress event
For grinding of crystalline materials, which will be
looked at in the following, it can be assumed, that shear
forces of the fluid are too low to break particles. There-
fore, crystalline particles can only be broken, when they

0032-5910r99r$ - see front matter q 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 0 3 2 - 5 9 1 0 Ž 9 9 . 0 0 1 6 2 - X
 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388
Fig. 1. Active volume.
are stressed between two grinding media or between a
grinding medium and the chamber wall. Since stressing
between two grinding media will occur quite more often,
in the following only particle capture between two grind-
ing media is discussed. An important condition that parti-
cles are stressed between two grinding media is that the
particles are captured by the grinding media and are not
carried out with the displaced fluid w2,3x. According to the
number of captured particles three cases can be distin-
guished as follows.
Ža. Only one particle is captured, which is stressed with
the entire energy or force, respectively Žsingle particle
stressing..
Žb. More than one particle is captured between two
media, all particles have contact to both media during the
stress event and all particles are stressed independent of
each other. In this case at first the particle is captured,
which has the largest size andror which has the smallest
distance to the connection line of both media center. This
particle is stressed with the maximum energy or force. The
particles, which are captured between the two media after
the first particle, are stressed with a considerably reduced
energy or force. At the end of the stress event diverse
single particle stressing with different intensities occurred.
Žc. A particle bed is captured and stressed between two
grinding media.
The number of captured particles depends among others
on the solids concentration of the suspension and the size
of the particles and can be evaluated by the ratio between
383
the diameter of the active volume between two grinding
media, d act , and the average distance between two particles
in the suspension, y. The active volume between two
grinding media is defined to be the volume, in which a
particle of size x is captured between two grinding media
with a diameter d GM . The diameter of the active volume,
d act , follows from Fig. 1. The diameter d act is the maxi-
mum distance between two captured particles at the mini-
mum distance of the grinding media, a. The average
distance y between the center of two particles is a function
of the solids volume concentration of the suspension, c V ,
and the particle size, x. Based on this, the following
equation can be given for the ratio d actry:
3
d act 6 cV d GM a
y
s ( ( p
2 Ž 1 y aX .
x
q 1 y aX 2 ; aX s
x
Ž 1.
The ratios d actry, which were obtained for different
relative distances aX at a solids concentration of 0.2 by
volume, are shown in Fig. 2 as a function of the ratio
between media and particle size. More than one particle
can theoretically be captured, if the ratio d actry is greater
than 1 and if the relative distance aX tends to zero. In this
case, at the rim of the active volume, some particles can be
captured. But because of the fluid displacement between
two media this case is practically very unlikely w2x. If one
particle is stressed in the center of the active volume, other
particles can only be captured at ratios d actry of more than
2 and stressed with far less intensity. In the following, it is
assumed that a ratio d actry of 4 is sufficient to capture
more than one particle. In this case, at a relative distance
of aX s 0.5, a diameter ratio d GM rx of 30 and at a relative
distance of 0.75 a diameter ratio d GM rx of 60 is necessary
for capturing more than one particle. Based on this, more
than one feed particles with a size of, e.g., 50 mm can only
be captured if the media diameter is larger than 1500 mm.
Smaller particles can follow the fluid flow better than
larger ones w2x. Therefore, the smaller the particles are, the
higher is the probability, that the particles are carried out
with the fluid. Therefore, the ratio d actry required for
capturing more than one particle increases with decreasing
X
Fig. 2. Ratio d act r y as function of ratio d GM r x for different a .
384 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388

particle size. Since on the other hand at constant media

diameters the ratio d GM rx increases with decreasing parti-
cle size x, overall the probability that more than one
particle is captured should increase with decreasing parti-
cle size. Moreover, investigations showed, that at a solids
concentration of 0.2 by volume and at a average particle
size below 2 mm the suspension viscosity increases and,
thus, the freedom of motion decreases. Therefore, in the
particle size range below 2 mm probably more than one
particle can be captured and stressed between two grinding
media. But only at very high product fineness Ži.e., average
particle size below 1 mm. it seems possible that a particle
bed is stressed between two media.

3. Determination of possible stress mechanisms

Relations for the stress intensity can only be derived, if

it is known, where and how comminution takes place in
stirred media mills. Information about the stress events in
stirred media mills can be deducted from the motion of
grinding media in the mill. Experimental and theoretical
investigations Žamong others, Bosse w4x and Blecher w5x.
showed, that in stirred media mills with disc stirrer besides
in tangential direction the media moves in axial and radial
direction. A result of the numerical calculations of Blecher
w5x is given in Fig. 3, in which a section of the grinding
chamber, i.e., the upper part of a disc with the volumes
beside the disc, is shown. On the left side of the disc,
profiles of the tangential fluid velocity are depicted for a
Reynolds number of 2000. On the right side, stationary
trajectories of single media Žbeads. in the radial–axial
plane are presented. The profiles of the tangential fluid
velocity, i.e., the velocity perpendicular to the plane of
representation, show, that the tangential velocity is nearly
constant except in the vicinity of the discs. Near the discs
high gradients of the tangential velocity and, therefore,
zones of high power density exist, in which the power
density is higher than the mean power density. This zone is
shown on the right side of the disc. Another zone of high
power density is located at the grinding chamber wall.
Although the volume of these zones is only about 10% of
the net grinding chamber volume, at a Reynolds number of
2000 approximately 90% of the power is consumed in the
zones of high power density.
Besides in tangential direction the fluid and therefore
the grinding media rotate also in axial and radial direction.
In the zone around the stirrer discs, grinding media are
accelerated towards the grinding chamber wall. At the
grinding chamber wall, the grinding media change the
direction and move to the plane of symmetry between two
discs. Along the symmetry plane, the grinding media
moves from the chamber wall back to the stirrer shaft
because of the condition of continuity.
In the zone around the stirrer discs, the grinding media
are accelerated towards the grinding chamber wall and
Fig. 3. Profiles of the tangential fluid velocity and stationary trajectories
of single grinding media in the axial–radial plane w5x.
thus take up kinetic energy, which can be used for stress-
ing particles. Moreover, because of high velocity gradients
near the discs the grinding media moves with different
velocities. Therefore, grinding media with high velocities
collide with grinding media with lower velocities and
loose a part of their kinetic energy, which can be used for
comminution. Against that in the zone at the grinding
chamber wall grinding media are based on the chamber
wall because of the centrifugal acceleration. In this zone,
the particles are stressed by the pressure acting between
the grinding media. Moreover, because of velocity gradi-
ents at the chamber wall grinding media with different
velocities collide and loose a part of their kinetic energy,
which can be used for comminution.
Therefore, the following three grinding mechanism are
possible in stirred media mills with disc stirrer geometry:
product particles can be stressed by grinding media
ŽA. which are accelerated from the stirrer shaft towards
the grinding chamber wall and thus take up kinetic
energy,
ŽB. which are pressed against the chamber wall because
of the centrifugal acceleration,
ŽC. which move in tangential direction with high veloci-
ties and collide with grinding media with lower veloci-
ties.
 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388 385

4. Estimation of stress intensities A P , can be used. For the calculation, the centrifugal force
at the outer circumference of the disc was taken:
The intensity of grinding media mills can be described FC 1
either by the force acting on a grinding medium or by the s VGM Ž rGM y r Susp . bC
kinetic energy of a grinding medium w1,2x. According to AP AP
the investigations described above, in stirred media mills 2
usually only one particle is stressed intensively between 4 d GM d GM
two grinding media Žas long as the particles are not much
smaller than 1 mm andror the solids concentration is not
s
3 ž / ž /Ž
x dD
2
rGM y r Susp . ÕGM Ž 3.

extremely high.. Therefore, the stress intensity acting on a In case of mechanism C, grinding media with different
particle between two grinding media can be described velocities collide. Since the tangential velocities are usu-
either by the energy related to the particle volume or by ally much higher than the axial and radial velocities, in the
the force related to the cross-sectional particle area. following, only the tangential direction is considered. Two
In case of mechanism A, the media is accelerated in the grinding media, which move with different tangential ve-
vicinity of the disc from the stirrer shaft towards the locities ÕGM ,1 and ÕGM,2 Ž ÕGM,1 ) ÕGM,2 ., have different
grinding chamber wall. Thereby, the media take up kinetic kinetic energies. For the evaluation of the stress intensity,
energy, which can be used for comminution when the it is assumed that the impacts are straight and inelastic and
media collides with media which are based on the chamber that the faster medium is decelerated from the velocity
wall and, thus, which have no or nearly no radial velocity. ÕGM ,1 to the velocity of the slower medium, ÕGM,2 . The
This process is comparable to the one in a tumbling ball difference between the energies of the faster medium
mill, in which grinding media are dropped from the upper before and after the collision, D E kin , is used for stressing
part of the grinding cylinder and fall on the bulk media in the captured particle:
the lower part of the grinding cylinder. According to
w2,3x, in this case, the stress intensity is deter- VGM rGM
¨
Schonert D E kin s 2
Ž ÕGM 2
,1 y ÕGM ,2 . Ž 4.
mined by the kinetic energy of the medium and the volume 2
of the captured product particle, V P . A measure for the
The energy difference D E kin represents the maximum
kinetic energy is the potential energy of the medium,
energy available for stressing the captured particle because
which is accelerated from the stirrer shaft Ž r s d Sr2. to
under the assumptions stated above no energy is consumed
the outer circumference of the discs Ž r s d D r2. with a
for the acceleration of the slower grinding medium. The
centrifugal acceleration bc of r v GM . Considering the lift-
velocities ÕGM ,1 and ÕGM,2 can be estimated using fluid
ing force acting on the media and neglecting the coriolis
velocity gradients. Under the assumptions, that the velocity
force the specific energy E V,GM , which is related to the
of the media corresponds to the velocity of the fluid and
volume VP of the captured particle, can be calculated:
that the velocity gradient is independent on the value of
0.5d D 2
the velocity, the following equation can be given based on
H0.5d VGM Ž rGM y r Susp . r v GM dr Fig. 4:
S
E V ,GM s
Vp Õmax
ÕGM s Ž l 0 y l . Ž 5.
l0
2 3
1 dS d GM
s
2 ž 1y
ž / /ž / Ž
dD x
2
rGM y r Susp . ÕGM

Ž 2.
The length l corresponds to the distance between the
center of the grinding medium and the position of the
maximum velocity Õmax Že.g., at the disc surface.. Based
where VGM is the volume and rGM the density of the
grinding media, r Susp is the density of the suspension and
ÕGM is the tangential velocity of the grinding media.
In case of mechanism B, the grinding media in the vicinity
of the chamber wall have no radial velocity. Because of
the centrifugal force they are based on the grinding cham-
ber wall. Comminution takes place by a combined normal
and shear force between the grinding media. The normal
force which can be assumed to be the decisive force w2,3x,
corresponds to the centrifugal force, which acts on the
media and which is reduced by the lifting force. As a
measure for the stress intensity the centrifugal force, FC ,
related to the cross-sectional area of the captured particle, Fig. 4. Gradient of the tangential velocity.
386 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388

on Eqs. Ž4. and Ž5., the following relation can be derived

for the volume related energy difference D E V,kin :

D E kin
D E V ,kin s
VP

3 2 2
1 d GM l 0 y l1 l0 y l2
s
2 ž / x
2
rGM Õmax
ž l0 / ž y
l0 /
Ž 6.

The stress intensities derived for the three different

stress mechanisms are all proportional to the third power
of the media diameter and to the square of the circumfer-
ential velocity of the discs. A difference can be found in
the dependence on the media density: the volume related
energy E V,GM and the area related centrifugal force FC rA P
are proportional to the density difference Ž rGM y r Susp .,
while the volume related energy D E V,kin is proportional to
the media density rGM .
Using the approximations ŽEqs. Ž2., Ž3. and Ž6.. for the
three different stress intensities, it was investigated,
whether the different stress intensities are high enough to
break limestone particles of different sizes. For the calcula-
tions, a tangential velocity of the grinding media of half
the circumferential velocity of the discs can be assumed
w6x. Therefore, at a circumferential velocity of the discs of
10 mrs the tangential velocity of the media is assumed to
be ÕGM s 5 mrs. The volume related energy difference
D E V,kin was calculated for the disc circumference. In this
case the maximum fluid velocity Õmax corresponds to the
circumferential velocity of the discs, which was assumed
to be 10 mrs. The distances between the grinding media
and the stirrer discs were chosen to be l 1 s 1 mm and
l 2 s 1.2 mm, so that grinding media with a maximum size Fig. 5. Comparison of different stress intensities with breakage energy
and particle strength.
of 2 mm can be looked at and that grinding media, which
are larger than 200 mm, can collide. With the chosen
velocities and typical values of the other operating parame-
ters Ž d D s 120 mm, d S s 42 mm, rGM s 2894 kgrm3 eters of 200 and 300 mm. Only at media sizes larger than
Žglass., r Susp s 1340 kgrm3 . stress intensities were calcu- 400 or 450 mm, respectively, the stress intensity is suffi-
lated, which are shown in Fig. 5. cient to break the particle. For the breakage of a 100-mm
¨
According to Schonert w1x, in breaking a single particle, particle, a media diameter of approximately 700 mm is
a certain breakage energy, E V,B , is necessary or a certain necessary. Against that the area related centrifugal force of
particle strength, FrA, has to be exceeded. To a first one medium with a diameter of 1500 mm in the vicinity of
approximation, the breakage energy E V,B , which was de- the chamber wall is not high enough to break a particle
termined by impact, corresponds to the work of comminu- with a size of 10 mm. Indeed, the grinding media are based
tion for reduction ratios of 1.2 to 1.3. The breakage on the chamber wall, so that the centrifugal forces of
¨
energies proposed by Schonert for limestone particles with several media layers can be superposed. Because of the
sizes larger than 40 mm are depicted in Fig. 5. The particle superposition of centrifugal forces small particles can be
strength of limestone, which is compared in Fig. 5 with the broken. For example, a superposition of the centrifugal
¨
area-related centrifugal force, was determined by Schonert forces of 10 layers of media with a size of 1500 mm is
for sizes larger than 10 mm. necessary to break a particle with a size of 10 mm. In case
The comparison of the volume related energies E V,GM of smaller media, the number of layers required for a
and D E V,kin with the breakage energy E V,B shows, that a particle breakage increases to unrealistic values. Therefore,
particle with a size of 50 mm cannot be broken by one it can be assumed that at the chamber wall particles are
stress event using grinding media Žglass beads. with diam- scarcely broken. But, attrition is likely to occur.
 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388 387

The result that at a circumferential speed of 10 mrs the
stress intensity of glass beads with diameters less than 300
mm is too low to break limestone particles with a size of
50 mm was confirmed by comminution tests with lime-
stone in a stirred media mill w7,8x. The experimental results
show, that at a circumferential speed of 9.6 mrs glass
beads with a size of 96 and 219 mm are not able to break
feed particles with a median size of approximately 60 mm
Ž x 10 f 40 mm and x 90 f 80 mm.. Using glass beads with
sizes of 399, 515 and 661 mm, the feed particles are
broken after comminution times of 16 min Ž399 mm., 4
min Ž515 mm. and 2 min Ž661 mm.. According to Fig. 5,
glass beads with these sizes have just or just not the stress
intensity to break limestone particles with sizes between
40 and 80 mm. Since the stress intensity of glass beads
with a size of 399 mm is too small to break the larger feed
particles in one stress event, more stress events are neces-
sary and, therefore, a longer comminution time is required
to break all feed particles. If the glass beads are larger than
661 mm, most of the feed particles are broken in less than
1 min, because the stress intensity is high enough to break
limestone particles of a size of 100 mm.
The comminution tests with limestone showed further,
that the optimum stress intensity or the optimum media
size, which is required to produce a certain product fine-
ness with a minimum specific energy, depends on the
product fineness. At low specific energy inputs and, thus,
small product fineness the optimum bead size at a circum-
ferential speed of 9.6 mrs corresponds to the bead size
required to break the largest feed particles Ži.e., media size
of approximately 800 mm.. At higher specific energy
inputs the optimum media size decreases and corresponds
to the media size, which is necessary to break feed parti-
cles with an average size Ži.e., media size of approximately
500–600 mm..
5. Estimation of number of stress events
In batch mode, the average number of stress events of
each product particle, SN, is determined by the number of
media contacts, NC , by the probability that a particle is
caught and sufficiently stressed at a media contact, PS , and
by the number of product particles inside the mill, NP :
NC PS
SN s Ž 7.
NP
The number of media contacts can be assumed to be
proportional to the number of revolutions in the radial–
axial plane and therefore to the passages through the zone
of high power density near the stirrer disc Žstress intensity
at the chamber wall usually too small to break a particle..
According to Blecher w5x, a grinding medium needs two
revolutions in tangential direction for one revolution in the
radial–axial plane. Moreover, according to investigations
of Bunge w6x, the average number of revolutions of a
grinding medium in tangential direction is approximately
half of the number of revolutions of the stirrer. Therefore,
every four stirrer revolutions a single medium moves
through the zone near the stirrer disc and collides with
NC,R other grinding media. Based on this, the number of
media contacts can be described as follows:
n n VGC wGM Ž 1 y ´ .
NC s NC ,R tNGM s NC ,R t Ž 8.
4 4 p 3
d
6 GM
where n is the number of revolutions of the stirrer per unit
time, NGM the number of grinding media inside the cham-
ber, t the comminution time, VGC the volume of the
grinding chamber, wGM the filling ratio of the grinding
media and ´ the porosity of the bulk grinding media. The
number of product particles is equal to the ratio of the
overall volume of the product particles and the average
volume of the product particles:
V P ,ges Ž 1 y wGM Ž 1 y ´ . . c V
NP s s VGC p Ž 9.
VP x3
6
where c V is the volume solids concentration of the product
suspension and x the average particle size of the product.
Presuming that the probability PS is 1 Žmaximum value.
the following expression for the number of stress events
can be derived:
3
n wGM Ž 1 y ´ . x
SN s NC ,R
4
t
Ž 1 y wGM Ž 1 y ´ . . c V ž /
d GM
Ž 10 .
For usual values of the operating parameters Ž Õt s 10 mrs,
n s 1592 miny1 , wGM s 0.8, ´ s 0.4, c V s 0.2, d GM s
1000 mm. and an average particle size x of 50 mm the
number of stress events of a single particle within 1 min
can be calculated as given in Table 1, in which the stress
number is given for different numbers of media contacts
within one passage through the zone of high power den-
sity.
Experimental investigations show w7,8x that under the
operating parameters given above within 1 min 90% by
volume of feed particles which have a average size of 50
mm are smaller than 15 mm. Therefore, under the condi-
tions, that at any media contact a particle is intensively
stressed and broken Ž PS s 1. and that all original feed
particles are broken before particle fragments are broken
further, the number of stress events per feed particle in the
first minute is about 1. According to Table 1, for this stress
Table 1
Number of stress events of a single particle within 1 min
Number of media contacts NC,R 1 2 4 8 16
Number of stress events of one 0.2 0.5 0.9 1.8 3.7
particle within a minute SN
388 A. Kwader Powder Technology 105 (1999) 382–388
number, the number of media contacts at a passage through
the zone of high power density is about 4. Since in reality
the probability PS is smaller than 1, fragments of the feed
particles will be stressed further before all feed particles
are stressed once and not all grinding media pass the zone
of high power density at the disc within each revolution in
the radial–axial plane, the number of media contacts within
a passage through the zone of high power density will be
clearly higher than 4 in reality.
6. Conclusions
The investigations showed that the number of particles
captured by two media depends above all on the media and
the particle size as well as on the solids concentration of
the suspension. As long as the particles are sufficiently
larger than 1 mm and the solids concentration is not too
high, only single particles Žno particle bed. are stressed. If
more than one single particle is stressed, usually only the
particle stressed first can be broken completely. Probably,
the other particles are only reduced in size by breaking off
edges.
The importance of the three grinding mechanisms A, B
and C for the comminution result can be evaluated based
on the theoretical considerations and the comparison of
theoretical with experimental results. The considerations
regarding the stress intensity show that by grinding media
which are pressed against the chamber wall because of the
centrifugal acceleration even with large grinding media
only particles sufficiently smaller than 10 mm can be
broken completely Žmechanism B.. Moreover, the velocity
gradients in tangential direction are clearly smaller at the
chamber wall than near the disk. Therefore, because of the
clearly higher stress intensity the zone near the stirrer disc
is much more important than the zone at the chamber wall,
especially if particles larger than 10 mm have to be
ground.
When a grinding medium moves through the zone of
high power density near the disc, the medium is acceler-
ated in radial direction taking up kinetic energy and col-
lides with a medium which is based on the chamber wall.
Therefore, usually mechanism A occurs only once during a
complete revolution in the radial–axial plane. Against that
media collisions because of velocity gradients in tangential
direction can occur several times during one revolution
and, thus, during one passage through the zone near the
disc Žmechanism C.. Therefore, most of the particles are
broken by mechanism C in the zone near the stirrer disc,
especially if coarser feed particles have to be ground. This
finding was confirmed by experimental investigations con-
cerning comminution of limestone in a stirred media mill.
Since media collisions in circumferential direction are
mainly responsible for the grinding effect of stirred media
mills with disc stirrer geometry, stirred media mills with
annular gap geometry are also very efficient, although
nearly no radial and axial movement occurs. This was
confirmed by the results of Muller¨ w9x, who investigated
the comminution in stirred media mills with annular gap
geometry. By measuring the media velocities, Muller ¨
showed that the breakage energy necessary for coarser
particles can only be produced by media collisions in
circumferential direction.
References
w1x K. Schonert,
¨ in: Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry,
Vol. B2, VCH Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim, 1988, pp. 1–5.
w2x K. Schonert,
¨ in: K.V.S. Sastry, M.C. Fuerstenau ŽEds.., Challenges in
Mineral Processing, Society of Mining Engineers, Littleton, 1989, p.
151.
w3x K. Schonert,
¨ Aufbereitungstechnik 32 Ž1991. 487.
w4x D.G. Bosse, Off. Dig. 3 Ž1958. 251.
w5x L. Blecher, Dissertation, TU Braunschweig, 1993.
w6x F. Bunge, Dissertation, TU Braunschweig, 1992.
w7x A. Kwade, Dissertation, TU Braunschweig, 1996, and Verlag Shaker,
Aachen, 1997.
w8x A. Kwade, J. Schwedes, KONA 15 Ž1997. 91.
w9x H. Muller,
¨ ¨
Dissertation, VDI-Verlag, Dusseldorf, 1991.