ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT

SIZE REDUCTION
Raw materials undergo size reduction through different mechanisms: impact,
compression, and attrition. One way to classify size reduction equipment is into
crushers and grinders, where grinders produce finer particles than crushers.

CRUSHERS
COMPRESSION CRUSHERS
In compression crushers particles disintegrate due to opposing rigid forces.
Compression crushers are mainly used in processing brittle materials.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Compression crushers are used to break rocks and coarse particles larger than 3 cm in
diameter. There are three main types of compression crushers: jaw crushers, gyratory
crushers, and rolls.
EQUIPMENT DESIGN

Jaw Crushers
Jaw crushers consist of a rectangular frame with a fixed jaw plate and a jaw stock
carrying the moving jaw. The moving jaw swings toward the fixed jaw in the forward
stroke, material is crushed, and discharge takes place during the backward or freeing
stroke. The jaw crusher pictured below can be used to crush items from large objects
such as demolition debris or broken concrete to smaller objects such as asphalt or
river rock.

Gyratory Crushers
Material is fed through a feed plate that distributes the particles evenly into the
chamber between the mantle and the concave casing. The mantle oscillates, causing
a decrease in the volume between the mantle and the concave casing and crushing
the material. The crushed material then exits freely from the apparatus.

Rolls
During the crushing operation, the two rolls rotate toward each other, resulting in
crushing. The feed particle size determines the type of rollers used. Rollers with teeth
are able to grip large particles, making it possible to crush blocks of considerable size
in rolls of moderate diameter. However, depending on what is being crushed and how
fine it will be crushed, therollers can be selected for best performance.

USAGE EXAMPLES
Jaw crushers and gyratory crushers are commonly used in mines and in quarries. Rolls
are used to reduce crystalline or fibrous materials that fracture on compression, such
as in the production of sponge metal, asbestos, bituminous coal and certain plastics.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Energy efficient. Limited size reduction.
Does not over-reduce materials. Further classification needed.
Variable capacity.
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IMPACT CRUSHERS
GENERAL INFORMATION/EQUIPMENT DESIGN
Size reduction in impact crushers occurs through particle concussion by a single rigid
force. The swing hammer crusher is an example of an impact crusher.

The hammers pivot freely on a disc mounted on the main shaft. As the disc rotates,
the material is struck and shattered by the descending hammers until it is fine enough
to pass through the openings and exit.

USAGE EXAMPLES
A size reduction system, equipped with a swing-hammer is usually used to break down
materials such as limestone, shale, phosphates, gypsum, barytes or asbestos rock.

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GRINDERS
PULVERIZERS
Pulverizers, also know as fluid energy mills, are used for fine grinding and close
particle size control. They are primarily used when contamination-free products are
desired.

GENERAL INFORMATION
There are two main classes of pulverizers: air swept pulverizers and air impact
pulverizers. Air swept pulverizers use air to transport particles to the pulverizing
section of the apparatus. Air impact pulverizers use high speed air to accomplish
pulverization. The products from both air swept and air impact pulverizers will be
free of oversize particles and will need no further sieving or classifying.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN

Air Swept Pulverizer

The particle feed is mixed with air as it is fed into the mill inlet (1). The beater plates
(2) support the hammers (3), and distribute the particles around the periphery of the
grinding chamber. The hammers grind the solid against the liner (4) of the grinding
chamber. The beater plates rotate between 1600 and 7000 rpm (revolutions per
minute) to reduce the size of the incoming particles.

The classifier plate (5) separates the finely ground product for exit through the
discharge outlet (6) while returning oversize material back to the mill inlet through
the recycle housing (7).

Air Impact Pulverizer

In air impact pulverizers, superheated steam or compressed air produces the force
that reduces the size of large particles. The jets accelerate the inlet material,
causing the particles to smash into one another, resulting in smaller particles.

The P-jet fires the feed particles into the impact chamber, where they collide head-
on with recycled particles moving in the opposite direction fired by the O-jet. After
the collision, all the particles travel to the classification chamber.

The larger particles are forced to the outer perimeter by centrifugal force, travel
down the downstack to the O-jet and are recycled. Fine particles move towards the
center of the classification chamber and are discharged.
USAGE EXAMPLES
Pulverizers are commonly used for chemicals, pigments and food processing. The
microscale air impact pulverizer is used in laboratories, where small samples are
needed.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Air needed is free. Energy consuming.
Large range of sizes available.
Homogeneous blend.
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ATTRITION MILLS
Size reduction in attrition mills occurs through the scraping of one surface against
another. Particles scrape against each other or against a rigid face.

GENERAL INFORMATION
The most commonly used attrition mills are sand mills and tower mills. In both of
these a rotating rod/screw induces attrition between the feed particles. Other types
of attrition mills include buhrstone, planetary, and USBM attrition mills.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN

Sand Mill
The feed particles are suspended in a liquid to form a slurry which enters the
chamber. Here, rotating paddles help induce attrition between the particles. Smaller
reduced particles move up the chamber with the flow, pass through a screen and exit.
Larger particles remain at the bottom.
 (Copyright Union Process Inc., Akron, OH)

Tower Mill System

Feed enters the grinding chamber through the rotary feeder. The particles fall down a
chute into the grinding chamber. In the grinding chamber a double helix screw rotates
on a shaft, inducing the particles to grind against each other. The double helix screw
and the grinding chamber are coated with rubber to make them wear resistant.

The ground product is then channeled through a series of two cyclone separators. The
fine ground product exits through the discharge outlet, while any oversized material
is recycled.

(Prasher, C. L. Crushing and Grinding Process Handbook. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited, Reproduced with permission)
USAGE EXAMPLES
Attrition mills are used for fine grinding operations in the production of spices
(pepper, cinnamon, paprika), food (peanuts, grain, cereal), fibers (chips, cork,
cellulose) and blendings (face powders, insecticides). The pictures below show pepper
and cinnamon, finished products from attrition milling.

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(Pictures Copyright Chemical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, MI)

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Finely ground products. Energy consuming.
Large range of sizes available. Needs specific input size.
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CONE MILLS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Unlike most types of mills, cone mills can be used for hard to grind products while
using less energy than other types of mills. Cone mills are preferred in some industries
because they produce less noise, dust, and heat than traditional milling equipment.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN

Material is fed into the conical chamber by gravity or conveying it. Inside the chamber
is a rotor that spins at a low velocity and forces the material against the wall. The
rotor has two paddles that pass over the material on the wall, inducing a shear force
on it. This shear force breaks apart the material and when the particles are small
enough they pass through the holes in the wall and fall into a collection container.
Since the rotor is spinning at a low velocity the particles that pass through the wall
tend to have a uniform size and the rotor generates little heat. This system is
completely enclosed so that little noise and dust are generated.
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(Copyright Mendel Company, (Copyright Aadvanced Machinery Inc.,
East Hanover, NJ) Clinton Township, MI)

USAGE EXAMPLES
Cone milling is used in the pharmaceutical, food, and chemical industries. It is widely
used in pharmaceuticals for wet and dry granulation. In the food industry it is many
used for grinding of foods such as sugar, candy, and chocolate.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
High efficiency Small volume
Low heat generation
Low noise and dust emissions
Can mill sticky materials
Easy to clean
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TUMBLING MILLS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Types of tumbling mills include rod mills, ball mills, and tube mills. Pronounced
preferential breakage of the coarser particles is responsible for the "screening effects"
that occur in rod mills.
 (Copyright Patterson Industries (Canada) Ltd, Scarborough, Ontario)

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
A rod mill may be regarded as containing a series of grinding zones in which both
breakage and screening occur, such that the coarse size ranges are progressively
eliminated. The main breakage mechanism is shatter breakage, resulting from
particles striking against each other.

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VERTICAL SPINDLE MILLS

A popular type of vertical spindle mill is the ring-roller mill.

GENERAL INFORMATION
In ring-roller mills rollers feed solid coarse particles against a stationary grinding ring.
The particles are broken apart by the resulting compression forces.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
In a ring-roller mill, the material to be milled is fed into the grinding section. The
moving roller forces the coarse material against the stationary grinding ring. The
particles emerge from the machine slightly finer than they entered.

USAGE EXAMPLES
Vertical spindle mills are used in the mineral industry to grind materials such as
phosphate, limestone, magnesite, and bauxite.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Easily cleaned. Rings and rollers wear easily.
Dust-free operation.
High capacity.
Automatic operation.
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MECHANICAL IMPACT MILLS
Two of the most common mechanical impact mills are the colloid mill and the pin
mill. The colloid mill shown here disperses a liquid feed into droplets.

(Copyright Chemicolloid Laboritories Inc., New Hyde Park, NY)

GENERAL INFORMATION
There are four different types of colloid mills: the hammer or turbine, smooth surface
disk, rough surface disk, and valve or orifice type. Colloid mills are designed to break
upagglomerates, particles that have bonded together, into droplets about 1
micrometer in diameter.

(Copyright Chemineer, Inc., Dayton, OH)

Pin mills are used to reduce the size of medium- to low-density materials such as talc
and clay. Pin mills use centrifugal forces to smash large particles against pins.
EQUIPMENT DESIGN
A colloid mill rotor is an intermeshing rotor used for the size reduction of materials by
multiple impacts with the maze of pins. High speed rotation applies fluid shear stress,
inducing the breakdown of agglomerates. The speed of the rotation can also be
reduced during mixing to induce a smoother impact and avoid material degradation
while still producing enough turbulence to create a homogeneous blend.

The semi-liquid feed enters a grooved conical rotor that rotates with speeds of about
3600 rpm. The rotation produces currents inside each of the grooves, producing
hydraulic shear, centrifugal action, and particle impact. After the agglomerates are
broken apart, the liquid rises through the grooves until it reaches the outlet. The
colloid mill is wrapped in a cooling jacket to counteract the high heat generated by
the process.

In pin mills, solid material is fed through a hopper onto the rotor. The rotor rotates
either clockwise or counterclockwise. This rotation causes the material to be broken
apart into uniform-sized particles between the stationary upper pins and the lower
rotating pins.

The standard-duty rotor has more pins than the heavy-duty rotor, resulting in smaller
particles.

USAGE EXAMPLES
Colloid mills are used largely in asphalt production and grease manufacturing. They
are also used in a wide variety of industries, such as paints, pigments, food and
cosmetics, such as in the production of the lipstick. In the food processing industry,
colloid mills are used in the production of mayonnaise, peanut butter, salad dressings,
buttered syrups, and chocolate toppings.

Pin mills are commonly used to produce talc, clays, resins, flour and starch.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Self-cleaning. In colloid mills, the feed must be in
Rugged and durable. a pumpable slurry.
Wide variety of uses. Pins in pin mills wear easily.
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ROLLER COMPACTORS
GENERAL INFORMATION
A roller compactor is used in dry processing to compact material into sheets or to
reduce the particle size.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
Powdered material is fed into a feed chute and is driven down to the rolls by a feed
screw. It passes through the rolls and is compacted as the pressure increases till it
reaches a maximum at the minimal distance between the rolls. The rolls come in
different sizes and types depending on the desired granule or flake size. The pressure
can also be controlled by varying the gap between the rolls and their speeds.

(Copyright Mendel Company, East Hanover, NJ)

USAGE EXAMPLES
Roller compactors are used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industry to
increase the density of powders and for granulation.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
No additional binders needed. Does not work for all powders.
Small size.
Dust free.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Aadvanced Machinery Inc., Clinton Township, MI
Mendel Company, East Hanover, NJ
Union Process Inc., Akron, OH
Patterson Industries (Canada) Ltd, Scarborough, Ontario

REFERENCES
Cone Mills. Bristol, PA: Kemutec. Web. kemutecusa.com.
Lynch, A.J., Mineral Crushing and Grinding Circuits. New York: Elsevier Scientific
Publishing Company, 1977.
Miller, William T. W. Crushers for Stone and Ore. London: Mining Publications, Ltd,
1935.
Perry, Robert H., and Don W. Green. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook. 7th ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997: 20-10 - 20-73.
Prasher, C. L. Crushing and Grinding Process Handbook. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
1987.
"Roll Compactor." Prism. Prism, Web. www.drygranulationrollercompactor.com.

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