Mixer mills grind and homogenize small sample volumes quickly and efficiently by impact and friction. These ball mills are suitable for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding as well as for cell disruption for DNA/RNA or protein recovery. For special applications such as mechanosynthesis, they offer unique solutions. Mixer mills are well known for their ease of use and small foot-print compared to other types of ball mills.
The grinding jars of mixer mills perform radial oscillations in a horizontal position. The inertia of the grinding balls causes them to impact with high energy on the sample material at the rounded ends of the jars and pulverize it. High energy milling is possible by operating at high frequencies up to 35 Hz. The movement of the jars and balls causes further size reduction effects through friction and additionally leads to effective mixing of the sample. The degree of mixing can be increased by using several smaller balls.
Mixer mills are used for the pulverization of soft, hard, brittle, and fibrous materials in dry and wet mode. With their small footprint, ease of use, and very short processing times, they are true allrounders in the laboratory.
Mixer mills are ideally suited for tasks in research like mechanochemistry (mechanosynthesis, mechanical alloying and mechanocatalysis), or ultrafine colloidal grinding on a nanometer scale, as well as for routine tasks such as mixing and homogenizing.
They are also widely used for cell disruption for DNA/RNA extraction via bead beating. Up to 240 ml of cell dispersions can be processed for protein extraction or metabolome analysis.
A crucial advantage of mixer mills is their great versatility – in some models combined with the capacity to actively cool or heat material, allowing for more controlled configurations than in other ball mills. In the field of mechanochemistry, the possibility to control the reactions inside the jar is very beneficial.
Depending on the models, temperatures down to -196°C or up to 100°C can be applied. Mixer mills are available with 1, 2 or 6 stations. Jars and balls are available in various sizes, designs and materials.
氧化钛
湿磨
金属合金
干磨
头发
干磨
轮胎橡胶
冷冻研磨 莱驰研磨仪
CryoMill 设计专用于 -196°C 的低温研磨，而 MM 500 control 的工作温度范围为 -100°C 至 +100°C，温度调节范围为 -100°C 至 0°C。
降温的好处包括, 例如:
要找到硬度合适的罐和球材料，考虑因素很简单：材料的硬度必须高于样品的硬度。如果材料硬度较低，磨球就会被样品材料的颗粒磨碎。
不建议使用不同材料的配件。例如钢制研磨罐搭配氧化铵材质的研磨球，首先，两种材料的磨损都会影响分析结果，其次，会加速配件的磨损。
Classic mixer mills work with screw-top jars which are designed for quick handling and pulverization of small sample amounts. The jars are available in hardened steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, agate, zirconium oxide, and PTFE.
The MM 500 nano and MM 500 control are operated with screw-lock jars. These jars are pressure-tight up to 5 bar, the integrated safety closure allows for convenient handling. The new jar design is very beneficial for wet grinding and pulverizing fibrous samples like hair.
Thanks to the flat lid, the nominal volume can be fully used, for instance when milling fibrous samples, or to ensure the optimum mixture of material, small balls and liquid for wet grinding.
Available materials include hardened steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide and zirconium oxide ensuring contamination-free processing. Aeration lids for all mixer mill jar sizes and materials are available, e.g. for processing under inert atmosphere.
1. Screw-top jar
2. Screw-lock jar
3. Filling volume
| Screw-top jars MM 400, MM 500 vario, CryoMill | Screw-lock jars MM 500 nano, MM 500 control | |
| 不同的研磨罐材质 | 7 (4) | 4 |
| 研磨罐尺寸 | 1.5 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 35 | 50 ml | 50 | 80 | 125 ml |
| Aeration lids | 否 | 是 |
| GrindControl | 否 | 是 |
| Integrated safety closure | 否 | 是 |
| 适用于干磨 | 是 | 是 |
| Suitable for wet grinding | Limited - jar design is not optimal for applying the 60% filling rule | Yes, designed to apply the 60% rule |
| 纤维样品研磨 | 是 | Yes, very easy handling, as the lids are flat and the full volume of the jar can be used to fill in voluminous sample |
干磨时，通常采用所谓的三分之一规则来获得最佳效果。也就是说，大约三分之一的罐子容积应该装满研磨球。根据这一规则，球越小，就越需要装满三分之一的罐子。另外三分之一的罐子容积应装满样品材料。
根据这一规则，既能提供所需的粉碎能量，又能在罐中装入足够的样品材料以防止磨损；
1.三分之一的自由空间
2.
对于纤维材料或粉碎后体积急剧下降的材料，建议使用较高的样品填充量。罐中需要有足够的材料以减少磨损。如有必要，可以在几分钟后添加更多材料，以保持所需的最小体积；
1.三分之二的样品
2.
要生产粒度小至 100 纳米或更小的颗粒，需要湿磨和摩擦，而不是冲击。要做到这一点，需要使用许多表面大、摩擦点多的小球。因此，干法研磨工艺中推荐的三分之一填充量被 60% 规则所取代，即 60% 的罐子中填充小球。样品量应约为 30%。首先将小球加入罐中（按重量计！），然后加入材料并混合。最后仔细混合分散剂液体。
1.六分之一到三分之一的样品 + 液体
2. 三分之二的研磨球
Aeration lids have been engineered to improve both the efficiency and safety of grinding processes in laboratory environments. They are especially beneficial when working with materials that require a controlled atmosphere—such as during wet grinding or when handling reactive substances. In such cases, the internal atmosphere, including oxygen, can be replaced by flushing the jar with an inert gas like nitrogen.
These lids also enable the introduction of gases directly into the grinding jar, which is essential for certain chemical reactions or for maintaining an inert environment. The jars can be pressurized up to 5 bar, which may help facilitate the incorporation of gas molecules into the reaction during milling.
Additionally, aeration lids allow the grinding jar to be connected directly to an analyzer—either after operation in a planetary ball mill (or in the Emax) or even during operation in the MM 500 nano or MM 500 control. This setup makes it easy to analyze gases released during grinding processes or generated by chemical reactions. The lids are equipped with inlays made from various materials—such as stainless steel, zirconium oxide, and tungsten carbide—allowing the same lid to be used with different jar types.
Mixer mills belong to the family of ball mills and are characterized by their small footprint, fast processing times and great versatility.
They are used for mixing, pulverizing and homogenizing hard, medium-hard, brittle, soft, elastic and fibrous sample materials.
Size reduction is effected through impact and friction. Mixer mills from Retsch are available with one, two or six grinding stations.
Mixer mills are used for dry, wet and cryogenic pulverization of small sample volumes within seconds. They generate the required energy input for nanoscale grinding.
A typical field of application is cell disruption by bead beating for DNA/RNA and protein extraction.
Mixer mills are also frequently used in the field of mechanochemistry, particularly those models which provide cooling and heating options.
Sample material and grinding balls are filled into the jar which is clamped into the mill. The radial oscillations performed by the mill lead to the pulverization by impact and friction of the balls. The sample is also thoroughly mixed by the movements of jar and balls.
