Planetary Milling Jars
Planetary milling jars don’t get much attention in the high-tech research and manufacturing world, but they are a critical piece of the materials processing puzzle in many fields. Any industry that requires specific particle sizes and highly controlled composition and purity – including electronics, geology, medicine, mining, pharmaceuticals, paint, construction, ceramics, and chemical engineering – needs to select their planetary milling jars wisely. Given all of the options, it’s important to have a supplier that understands all of the material issues and details of the applications.
Many users of planetary milling jars don’t even realize the wide range of materials that are available. A conventional alumina material is common, and zirconia is another popular cost-effective option, but agate, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, and even polymers like Teflon and Nylon are other options that can be a better match for certain applications.
For example, high purity natural agate (>99.9% SiO2) is chemically resistant to acids and solvents, which makes it suitable for applications in electronics, paint, lighting, and geology where materials might be processed with acids or solvents. Teflon is a good match for applications where a non-sticky surface is important for the material preparation, or when contamination control is important. Stainless steel is useful in metallurgy and electronics, with Grade 304 (18% chromium and 8% nickel) being the most common alloy, but other stainless steel variants such as 316 and 316L are available for food and pharmaceutical applications.
Clearly, there is an enormous list of variables to consider when selecting planetary milling jars … and the discussion above just “scratches the surface” of material grinding and milling topics.
MSE Supplies is the ideal partner to help you sort through all of these options. MSE is the leader in manufacturing planetary milling jars with excellent purity control and high-quality finishes, as we also provide milling machines, grinding media and all of the required accessories. Additionally, as a leading provider of a broad range of material products, MSE has plenty of in-house expertise across the whole application space.