Precautions for the Use of Zirconia Beads

Zirconia ceramics are a type of high-performance ceramic material, which not only possess high strength, high hardness, high-temperature resistance, acid and alkali corrosion resistance, and excellent chemical stability, but also exhibit outstanding scratch resistance, flawless appearance, and superior heat dissipation performance.

When using zirconia beads, the following points should be noted:

1. Select the appropriate zirconia beads. Due to the different hardness, surface smoothness, particle size distribution, wear resistance, and chemical properties (not reacting with the grinding material) of zirconia beads, it is necessary to choose the most suitable zirconia beads based on the type of grinding material, target particle size, and desired grinding particle size.
2. Pre-grinding treatment. When using zirconia beads for the first time, they should be placed in a slurry with a certain viscosity for pre-grinding for about 30 minutes. If the slurry concentration is low, the speed should be reduced, and the pre-grinding time should not exceed 15 minutes.
3. Cleaning and maintenance. When grinding paint, it is recommended to use resin to clean the zirconia beads. If solvent cleaning is required, the speed should be reduced, and the cleaning time should not exceed 10 minutes. To clean more effectively, it is suggested to use an intermittent cleaning method, that is, start the cleaning for a period of time, then stop, and then restart.
4. Supplement zirconia beads. After a period of grinding, due to the mutual collision of zirconia beads, they will wear to a certain extent. Therefore, after a period of use, some new zirconia beads need to be supplemented. Before supplementing, the broken zirconia beads should be screened out using a sieve, and then an equal weight of new zirconia beads should be added.
5. Other occasions for supplementing beads. If the fineness requirement remains unchanged but the grinding time needs to be extended, or if the fineness after grinding does not meet the desired effect, a certain amount of zirconia beads also need to be supplemented.

Zirconia beads, as a widely used non-metallic grinding medium, are particularly widely used in the fields of grinding and dispersion. In grinding, they are mainly used in sand mills; while in dispersion, they are mainly used in high-speed dispersion mills.