Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads

FAQ for Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does your business involve grinding or milling or dispersion of materials?

If yes, then you will find this guide really helpfully.

We will share the advantages of using zirconia alumina composite beads and its various applications.

Inovatec machinery manufacture one of the best quality zirconia alumina composite beads.

We have got 20 plus years of experience in manufacturing theses media beads as well as machines for mass processing materials.

 

1. What Are Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

Zirconia alumina composite beads is a grinding media used in the mass finishing industry.

Zirconia alumina composite beads is also popularly known as alumina toughened zirconia beads.

It consists of 60 percent Alumina (Al2O3), 30 percent Silica (SiO2), and 10 percent Zirconia (ZrO2).

They are white colored smooth bead balls.

Inovatec machinery offer a standard package of 25kg which comes in a barrel.

You can also get other customized packages on request.

2. Can You Share The Various Advantages Of Using Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads?

The benefits of using zirconia alumina composite beads are given below.

 

2.1 Good Media Life

The media life is an important factor which you need to look while purchasing a media.

Zirconia alumina composite beads comes with pretty good media life and you can enhance the media life if you give proper care to the media.

Higher the life more the profit.

 

2.2 Cost-Effective

The lower percentage of zirconia content (only 10 percent) means that the media cost is less when compared to other zirconia media types which has higher zirconia content.

It is also a strong and tough media.

So, wear and tear are less.

Thus, this media is a cost effective one.

 

2.3 Time Saver

The high strength and toughness of theses media balls makes it possible to mill more materials in the same time.

You need to ensure that you use it with right type of machine.

It will help you to save your valuable processing time.

 

2.4 Better Wear Resistance

These alumina toughened zirconia balls come with a real density of 3.2 g/cm3 and a bulk density of 2.2g/cm3

So, it offers better wear resistance.

 

2.5 High Grinding Efficiency

The 10 percent zirconia content in the Zirconia alumina composite beads makes it a tough and strong media.

So, it can grind more materials in less time,

So, the grinding efficiency will be more, especially when compared to the glass beads.

 

2.6 Good Chemical Resistance

The zirconia alumina composite beads offer excellent chemical resistance.

So, most of the chemicals does not cause any sort of wear and tear to the media.

It allows you to use this media with many solvents and resins for grinding, milling, and dispersion.

 

2.7 Environment-Friendly Media

These media balls are less susceptible to wear and tear.

It also does not generate any toxic waste as the byproduct of the grinding process.

So, it is an eco-friendly media.

 

2.8 Corrosion Resistant

Corrosive chemicals and reagents are the least effective on these media.

They offer excellent corrosion resistance.

So, you don’t have to control the humidity of the storage environment.

 

2.9 Easy to Clean & Store

The smooth ball like shaped structure of this media makes it possible to wash and clean the media easily.

The white color of the media makes it possible to see if the media is dirty or not.

 

2.10 Reliable Media

The reliability of the media is a critical factor in any grinding process.

Only a reliable media can guarantee a good quality finish to the material and also help to run an efficient process.

The Zirconia alumina composite beads offer very high reliability.

 

3. What Are The Different Applications Of Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

Various applications of zirconia alumina composite beads are given below.

 

3.1 Paper Mill

The zirconia alumina composite beads are widely used in the milling process in the paper mill industry.

 

3.2 Mining

Mining is another sector that make use of these beads.

 

3.3 Polishing

Alumina toughened zirconia beads also find its use in polishing of expensive metals like gold, copper, and silver and also in non-metallic materials.

 

4. Is It Required To Dry The Zirconia Alumina Composite Balls Before Storage?

No, you don’t have to dry the Zirconia alumina composite beads before storage.

But, if you dry the media before storage, then it will be easy to use next time, if the next process is a dry process.

 

5. Do Inovatec Machinery Support Customers With Free Bead Samples?

Yes, we support our customers with free samples for testing.

If you need free samples, get in touch with us and share your sample size, tolerance, and other requirements.

We will manufacture the beads as per your requirement.

These beads will be shipped to you for your testing.

 

6. Which Are The Different Milling Machines Offered By Inovatec Machinery That Can Use Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

The following milling machines from Inovatec machinery can be used for milling with the zirconia alumina composite beads.

 

6.1. Horizontal Mills

Inovatec machinery’s horizontal mills is one of the popular machines used for grinding.

You can use the same machine for dispersion and milling also.

 

6.2. Vertical Sand Mill

If you are looking for a machine for dispersion process, then you should go for the vertical sand mill.

You can use zirconia alumina composite beads for grinding materials in this machine.

 

6.3. Stirred Mill

Stirred mills are mostly used to grind non-metallic and metallic materials.

Expensive parts like silver and gold can be grinded and polished in this machine.

 

7. How To Select The Right Size Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads？

Inovatec machinery offer Zirconia alumina composite beads in wide range of sizes.

The size ranges from 0.3mm to 60mm.

You must select the media size in such a way that you can run an efficient and cost effective process.

You can make use of the following tips to select the zirconia alumina composite beads of the right size that match your grinding requirements.

 

7.1 Part Size

Part size is the most important factor that decide the media size.

If you have a large part then you need to go with large media size.

For small size parts, small media size will be sufficient.

A small size media can reach more area of the part surface than a large size media.

So, a small size media can finish the grinding process in less time.

So, the efficiency of the process will be more.

 

7.2 Part Complexity

Certain parts come with complex shapes and structures.

So, grinding such parts need to be done carefully.

Sometimes these parts may have holes and crevices.

The size of the media must be selected in such a way that the grinding media can go through these holes without getting stuck.

 

7.3 Media Life

The life of the media is another important factor to take into account.

You always want to invest in a media with high life.

So, you need to select a size such that it is less prone to wear and tear.

At the same time, the media must be able to do an efficient grinding process.

Big size media tends to have more life than the small size ones.

 

7.4 Separating the Media

The process of separation of media from the parts at the end of the process must be an easy one.

Otherwise, you need to spend more time in doing this job and it will impact the process efficiency.

So, the media size must be different from the part size.

The media size must match the separation technique.

These are some useful tips to select the right media size.

If you are still confused to select the right media size, contact us with your requirements.

Our engineers will help to select the right zirconia alumina composite bead size for you.

 

8. Can You Share Some Tips To Increase The Life of Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

There are multiple ways by which you can increase the life of these media balls.

We will share some of the tips for doing it.

 

8.1 Correct Part to Media Ratio

The media to part ratio is an important factor that affects the life of the media.

If you think that you can save some money by reducing the media quantity, then you have got it completely wrong.

If you use fewer media than the recommended ratio, then the media will wear out quickly.

It will also cause an inconsistent finish on the parts and can even damage the parts.

So, the media life will come down.

So, always stick to the recommended ratio.

It will help to increase the media life.

 

8.2 Invest in Best Quality Media

Media quality will decide the life of the media.

If you buy cheap media, then you can’t expect it to do wonders.

Cheap quality media will wear out quickly since it is made of low-quality materials.

So, you will end up buying the media frequently.

The finish on the parts also won’t be good if you use cheap quality media.

So, always buy the best quality media.

Inovatec machinery manufactures high-quality zirconia alumina composite beads.

So, you can buy from us with confidence.

 

8.3 Reduce Media Stress

Media stress also affects the life of the media..

If you put more stress on the media, then its life will also comedowns.

So, don’t run the grinding process for a very long time in a continuous manner.

If the process is going to be long then give some breaks in between to reduce the stress.

 

8.4 Right way of Storing the Media

It is always good to clean and dry the media before storing.

It will ensure that no dirt or dust particles get along with the media.

It will also help to quickly start your next grinding process using this same media.

 

8.5 Employ Proper Heat Management Techniques

There will be some amount of heat generated during the grinding process inside the chamber.

This heat can reduce the life of the zirconia alumina composite beads.

So, we need to employ the right technique to remove the excess heat.

If it is a wet process, then the water or other solvents can remove this heat.

In the case of a dry process, some set up needs to be there in the chamber to remove the heat.

So, try to reduce the chamber heat, it will help to increase the media life as well as the chamber life.

 

8.6 Bigger Media Size

Media life is directly proportional to its size.

So, the larger the media size, the greater will be the media life and vice versa.

But large media comes with the disadvantage of increased processing time.

So, you must choose wisely.

 

 9. How To Use The Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads In A Grinding Machine?

It is essential to know the right way of using the Zirconia alumina composite beads in a milling machine.

It will help you to run an efficient and cost-effective process.

The first step is to ensure that the milling chamber is neat and clean for you to start the process.

Now, the machine needs to be thoroughly checked for any kind of blocks in its out pipes.

The zirconia alumina composite beads, which are going to be loaded to the chamber must undergo a visual inspection.

It is to ensure that there are no deformed or damaged media.

Please remove, if any.

Next comes the pre-grinding process.

The media balls need to undergo the pre-grinding process.

You need to use the right type of resin and solvents to pre-grind the Zirconia alumina composite beads inside the chamber.

Here, you need to set the pre-grinding time/

This time is based on the viscosity of the slurry in the chamber.

If the viscosity is high, then you need to run the pre-grinding process for more time.

If the viscosity is less, then the pre-grinding time must be less.

So, pre-grinding time is directly proportional to the slurry viscosity.

Now comes the rotational speed.

The rotational speed needs to be set now and it decides the processing time and efficiency.

If the slurry has high viscosity, then the rotational speed must be high.

You can go for a low rotational speed for a low viscos media.

Once everything is set, you can start the machine.

Once the grinding is complete, you need to separate the media and the parts.

Wash and clean the separated media before storage.

Do a visual inspection to check for broken media.

Please remove broken media, if any.

 

10. What Is The Typical Life Of Zirconia Alumina Composite Balls?

The life of the Zirconia alumina composite beads will mainly depend on its application.

Some applications require less time for grinding whereas others will require more time.

So, the media life will be higher if you use it for parts with lesser grinding time.

 

11. What Are The Different Methods To Increase the Efficiency Of A Milling/ Dispersion Process That Use Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

You can employ multiple techniques to enhance the efficiency of the milling process using Zirconia alumina composite beads.

The different methods are given below.

 

11.1 Controlling Chamber Temperature

The temperature inside the chamber is a critical factor that affects the efficiency of the whole process.

When the media grinds with the material, heat will be generated.

This unwanted heat affects the material, media, and also the machine.

So, this heat must be removed in a systematic manner

You can use water or other solvents to remove this heat in the case of a wet grinding process.

If the grinding process is dry, then a different technique needs to be used to cool the chamber.

So, always control the chamber temperature.

 

11.2 Load in the machine

The operating load in the machine plays a crucial role in the efficiency of the whole process.

Always check the operating manual to ensure that the machine is never overloaded.

It is recommended to operate the machine at 80-90 percent of its load capacity for an efficient process.

You will make the whole process inefficient if you operate the machine under 60 per cent load.

So, it is better to stick to the best-recommended load condition for the best results.

 

11.3 Quality of the media balls

The efficiency of the process will also depend on the quality of the media balls.

A high-quality media will always deliver great results.

Cheap media will be poor in quality.

It will break down fast.

It can even damage the parts under the grinding process.

You will have to replace it frequently.

So, always invest in the best quality media that comes at a reasonable price.

Inovatec manufactures high-quality alumina toughened zirconia beads.

So, you can always buy from us.

 

11.4 Check the media before and after grinding

The shape and size of the media must be always checked before loading into the grinding machine.

A visual inspection must be done to ensure that only good media is loaded into the chamber during grinding.

You must check the media after the grinding process also.

It is to ensure that the process of loading this media for the next batch of grinding happens fast.

 

11.5 Machine maintenance at regular intervals

The milling machine needs to be serviced at regular intervals.

The regular maintenance activity will ensure that the machine does not stop working in between a grinding process.

Some of the parts of the machine need to be replaced at certain times.

So, do these replacements at the right time without fail.

 

11.6 Selecting the right media size

The size of the media used for the milling process is an important factor that affects the process efficiency.

If you use a small size media, then it will be in contact with most of the area of the material.

Thus, the grinding will happen at a faster rate.

If a bigger media size is used then it will not cover the same area.

So, the grinding rate will be less.

Thus, a smaller media can bring down the processing time, thereby making the process more efficient.

But small size media is more prone to wear and tear.

So, you need to choose wisely.

 

11.7 Media Replacement at the right time

If you use the media many times for grinding, then some of the beads will get broken over time.

So, you must ensure that you remove these damaged beads and replace it with new ones.

This check must be done on a regular basis

If you grind the materials with broken media, then you will end up damaging the materials.

So, the whole process will get compromised and you will end up running an inefficient process.

So, the replacement must be done immediately.

 

12. What Is The Typical Time Taken By The Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads To Complete The Grinding Process?

The time taken for the grinding process to complete with the alumina toughened zirconia beads will depend on different factors.

The factors that affect the processing time are listed below.

 

 12.1 Viscosity of Slurry in Chamber

The viscosity of the slurry inside the milling chamber is a critical factor that affects the processing time.

If the slurry is fewer viscous, then the force on the materials by the media balls will be less.

So, it will take more time to grind the materials.

For a high viscous slurry, the frictional force will be more on the materials and it will make the grinding faster and it will in turn reduce the processing time.

So, optimize the slurry viscosity accordingly.

 

12.2 Speed of Chamber Rotation

The grinding time is also affected by the speed of rotation of the chamber.

If the rotational speed is more, then the particle will grind at a higher rate.

If the speed is less, more time will take to finish the grinding process.

 

12.3 Size of The Media

The size of the Zirconia alumina composite beads will also affect the processing time.

If you use a large size media, then less surface area of the material will be in contact with the media.

So, more time will be taken to grind the media.

If the media size is less, then the grinding rate will be high since more area of the surface will be in contact with the media.

So, media size is inversely proportional to the processing time.

 

12.4 Type of the machine

The machine type is another factor.

There are different variants of the same machine available in the market.

Some are capable of running at higher speeds with some additional automation features.So, if you use these machines, you can reduce the processing time.

 

12.5 Finish requirement of the parts

Different parts come with different finish requirement.

Some parts need a smooth and shiny finish, whereas other parts will demand matte finish.

So, the processing time will also vary with the finish requirement of the part.

A smooth finish will require more time when compared to a matte finish one.

 

12.6 Machine Load Capacity

The time will also depend on the machine capacity.

Different machines come with different load capacities.

So, if you have lots of materials to process, then you must invest in a machine with higher load capacity.

It will help you to process more materials in the same time.

 

13. Is It Possible To Use Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads For Grinding Expensive Metal Parts?

Yes, you can use Zirconia alumina composite beads for grinding expensive metal parts.

These expensive metals include gold, silver, and copper.

When it comes to such metals you want minimum wear and tear happening on the part.

These media balls are capable of doing that job.

 

14. Does Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads Support Wet Tumbling?

Yes, you can use Zirconia alumina composite beads for wet tumbling and dry tumbling.

Most of the solvents are compatible with these media balls.

But you must double-check and confirm that the media balls does not react to the solvent you are using, for a safe process.

 

15. What Are The Different Sizes Of Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads Offered By Inovatec Machinery?

 

The smallest media size offered by Inovatec machinery is 0.3mm.

The largest size of Zirconia alumina composite beads from Inovatec is 60mm.

You can get any size in between these two sizes, including these two sizes.

If you are finding it hard to select the right media size, you can contact us.

Our experienced engineers will help to choose the right size for your finishing needs.

 

16. What Are The Different Shapes Of Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads Offered By Inovatec Machinery?

Inovatec machinery offers only ball-shaped media for Zirconia alumina composite media.

No other shape choices are available.

You can get the ball-shaped media in different diameters.

 

17. What Is The Ratio of Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads To The Materials To Be Used?

Yes, there is a ratio to be maintained between the media balls and the material.

Only the right ratio will ensure that you get the desired finish in the least possible time.

The machine manual will help to find a recommended ratio.

If you find it difficult to select a ratio, then you can contact our support team. Our engineers will help to suggest a ratio for your parts based on their experience.

If you use fewer media, then you may end up damaging your materials because of the part to the part collision.

Sometimes lower media will result in an inconsistent finish across the parts.

So, always stick to the right ratio for an efficient process.

 

18. How Does Inovatec Guarantee Best Quality Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads?

Inovatec machinery has employed multiple ways to ensure high quality Zirconia alumina composite beads to the customers.

All the raw materials which are need to manufacture these media balls are sourced from reputed vendors.

We maintain a list of quality vendors and we source the raw materials only from them.

We take samples from all the batches of raw materials and put it for certain quality test.

The samples that pass these quality tests are passed on for production.

If it fails in the quality tests, then that batch will get rejected and send back to the supplier.

All the production activities are carried out under the strict supervision of our team of experienced engineers.

It will ensure that all the production activities are carried out properly as per industry standards.

The manufactured beads are passed on the final quality testing.

All the beads are tested for their physical strength and dimensions.

Only the beads that pass these tests are shipped to the customers.

These are the different ways by which Inovatec guarantee best quality Zirconia alumina composite beads.

 

19. Is It Possible To Increase The Life Of The Zirconia Alumina Composite Beads?

Yes, it is possible to increase the life of the Zirconia alumina composite beads.

 

Conclusion

Now, you know the importance of investing in high-quality Zirconia alumina composite beads for milling.

The advantages of using Zirconia alumina composite beads are many.

Inovatec machinery offers a complete solution for all your mass finishing needs. So, feel free to contact us to get a cost-effective solution for your business needs.