Oxide zirconia beads for grinding

Zirconia beads for grinding are high-strength, inert, hard, perfectly spherical fine particles. Applied in the grinding of coatings, pigments and inks, they can reduce costs, increase solid content, enhance product performance and improve process operating conditions. They also lower viscosity and boost fluidity. 

Compared with other irregularly shaped abrasives, zirconia grinding beads roll smoothly like steel balls in bearings. Boasting high specific gravity, they roll easily and generate high kinetic energy, which helps reduce formulation viscosity, enhance flowability and improve coatability. Their high filling capacity contributes to cost reduction. In addition, zirconia grinding beads have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio than abrasives of other shapes. This characteristic reduces resin consumption and increases filler dosage; meanwhile, small-sized microspheres fill the gaps between large-sized ones, thereby increasing solid content, lowering VOC emissions and cutting costs. 

Zirconia grinding beads feature high hardness, excellent wear resistance and scratch resistance, which saves the cost and time of maintenance and recoating. When traditional fillers are used, soft or irregular particles tend to cause surface abrasion or cracking. Many gloss-controlling materials will increase viscosity, but zirconia grinding beads can significantly reduce glossiness without a noticeable increase in viscosity. These densely packed, hard, wear-resistant and inert particles offer outstanding durability and low permeability, forming an effective barrier against harsh weather and chemical corrosion. As an inert ceramic material, zirconia grinding beads can resist erosion by various chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and withstand high temperatures. 

Zirconia beads are transparent to ultraviolet (UV) rays below 25 nm, allowing UV energy to penetrate the entire coating layer. This facilitates deep curing of UV-curable coatings and improves construction efficiency. For electron beam (EB) curable coating applications, zirconia beads can increase viscosity and control flow behavior. 

Thanks to their high compressive strength, zirconia beads can be added during the production and grinding process. They are compatible with various grinding methods including sand milling, ball milling and roll pressing to achieve better dispersion effects. Compared with other fillers of the same or lower hardness, zirconia beads cause less wear to the equipment.