Alumina Toughened Zirconia Beads

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads – A Definitive Guide

The mass production of different items comes with its positive aspects.

For instance, the process allows you to create bulk orders within short durations.

That’s because you don’t have to wait for each item’s production before you proceed with more.

You can even get 50 or more parts produced at the same time.

However, downsides to this method also exist.

By creating items in bulk, each piece cannot get the amount of attention it requires to create the end product.

As a result, you find that your parts come out with a few flaws.

It could be jagged edges or even rough surfaces.

Whatever the case, you’ll need to follow up with the ideal finishing process to give you the parts you need.

That’s where media such as Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads come into play.

You can use these odor-free white beads to help you get your product to other processing stages.

Depending on the item, finishing it with this media could even create the final product.

That’s without you necessarily having to work on individual pieces to fix the production flaws.

Keep reading to find out whether this is the media you should get to take care of your company’s mass finishing needs.

What Are Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads?

These media consist of smooth, white beads that have a shiny, glossy exterior.

They’re created from a combination of different compounds.

These include Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3), Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2), and Silica (SiO2), among others.

Aluminum Oxide makes up the majority of the ideal mixture.

These compounds then get subjected to one of three methods to turn them into the milling media you desire.

The process you choose will depend on the size of the beads you require for your parts.

And then the size will be decided by the materials used for your items.

1. Rolling or Granulation Method

Rolling happens to be one of the more commonly used methods to create ball-shaped media.

That’s, in part, because it’s a low-cost method for creating grinding media.

You need the right raw materials and equipment before you can create the Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads.

Rolling could entail using the mud from the raw materials to shape the bead.

You can also opt to directly sinter the powdered components, turning them into your grinding media.

The granulation or rolling method works best for creating smaller sized grinding media.

2. Isostatic Pressing

For this method, compaction to create the Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads happens under hydrostatic conditions.

The powder gets placed into a mold, which then gets sealed. Liquid-based pressure is then applied to it.

Depending on what you’re creating, you can opt for either the cold or hot isostatic pressing technique.

For the latter option, you would add high temperatures to the process.

Isostatic pressing is best when you need to form bigger Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads.

3. Dropping Method

If you require tiny Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads, around 0.05mm, you can use titration to create them.

That will need the materials to get sintered at low pressures.

Through this method, you get Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads that aren’t porous, and that bear this media’s signature characteristics.

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads’ Features

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads have undergone a variety of tests over the years.

These are to ascertain its properties against other mass finishing media. The results show that its wear resistance is between

2-15 times better than that of high alumina, as well as that of high chrome steel media.

As such, you get a robust media to help take care of intense grinding requirements.

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads can function at the level they stand at since they:

1. Do not have a low thermal conductivity
2. Come with a high abrasion resistance
3. Do not suffer from hydrothermal degradation
4. Exhibit elastic-plastic mannerisms such as those with metallic materials
5. Have a low thermal conductivity
6. Are biocompatible

These qualities further make it possible for you to compare their cost to their overall performance.

That’s because you will have long-lasting media that performs exceptionally every time.

Hold that up against the price, and you’ll see how much you save by choosing Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads over other types of finishing media.

Its idealness is also evident when you compare it to other media sharing the same density, such as high alumina beads.

Another feature that makes it worthwhile is the fact that it’s insoluble.

Therefore, you can use it for both dry and wet grinding without having to worry about it wearing down faster.

The Applications of Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads

Due to its superior performance, Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads can work in numerous processes during the manufacturing phases. Some of the more common applications include:

• the milling and dispersion of materials like platinum, gold, nickel, lead, silver, zinc sulfide, and copper
• as fillers for paper, rubber, and plastic
• the milling of non-metallic materials such as zirconium silicate, calcium carbonate, TiO2, and kaolin clay
• for fine-grinding metallic ores like zircon
• with coatings, pigments, inks, and paints, among others

Which Machines Can You Use With Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads?

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads are great media for structural applications, especially those with high loading conditions.

As such, they work well with several types of milling machines to achieve the required results.

Some of the machines you can use Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads with include:

• Vertical mills
• Horizontal mills
• Agitated media mills
• Stirred media mills
• Planetary ball mills

Zirconia Toughened Alumina Beads, In Summary

Every zirconia ball media manufacturer has standard dimensions for their Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads.

It helps them ensure they have reliable stock quantities for their customers to order.

However, if your items require a size that’s not on their production line, you can always make a special request.

Since you’ll be dealing with professionals, they’ll understand that sometimes you need a tailormade solution to fit your needs.

So, don’t hesitate to find a worthwhile solution provider.

When dealing with media like Zirconia Toughened Alumina beads, you should always remember to exercise care on the plant floor.

These are slippery media that could cause falls if they happen to spread out on the production floor.

In case of spillages, cordon off the area to ensure all grinding media first gets picked.