Operating Manual
16
1300-87075-1A
9.0 Operation
Before operating the Planetary Mill, make sure it is plugged in and turned on. The power cord inlet is located on
the rear of the cabinet. The white on/off button is located on the rear of the cabinet (Figure 2).
The following steps outline a standard operating cycle:
1. Load sample and balls in grinding jar
2. Firmly place lid on the grinding jar
3. Clamp the jar in place
4. Confirm balance setting and close the door
5. Set the timer
6. Set the number of cycles
7. Set reverse option to on or off
8. Set the pause time
9. Set the run speed
10. Press the green Run button to start a run
11. When the run is complete, open the door
12. Unclamp the jar
9.1 Mixing and Grinding
For samples that cake during mixing, a slurry with water or alcohol may be helpful. Water may be removed
afterwards by drying the sample in the jar in a very low temperature oven. If caking is due to static charge, a
small amount of cellulose (10%) can be added to the jar. Dry grinding is the simplest approach and most often
used.
If a sample is not being ground fine enough, the user can decrease the amount of sample, increase grinding
time, use a denser grinding medium, and/or add a grinding aid or liquid. Wet grinding keeps the sample from
caking and will give a smaller final particle size, but there are hindrances; an extra drying step is required, the
fluid used for wet grinding must be chosen carefully not to alter the sample or attack the jar, all have gaskets and
are watertight.
None of the jars are inherently gas-tight. Limited results can be achieved by loading and unloading the jar in a
glove box under inert gas.
CAUTION
: Always use grinding balls that match the material of the jar (e.g. hardened steel balls for a hardened
steel jar, stainless steel for stainless steel, etc.). This will limit contamination.
9.1.1 Grinding Hints
For any grinding jar, the smaller the initial sample size, the finer it can be ground in a given time. Unless a sample
cakes during grinding, the longer it is ground, the finer it will get. Particle size can almost always be lowered
further by reducing the sample size or lengthening the grinding time, or both.
