Shown and described is a laboratory ball mill, in particular a vibrating mill, centrifugal ball mill or planetary ball mill, further in particular a planetary ball mill with a transmission ratio of 1:1, with at least one grinding bowl holder for at least one grinding bowl arranged on a machine part of the ball mill which is moved during the grinding operation of the ball mill, with a clamping device arranged on the moving machine part for transmitting a clamping force to the grinding bowl and with a coupling device with at least one coupling element, wherein an energy transmission from the stationary machine part to the moving machine part for generating the clamping force is provided via the coupling device. According to the invention, it is provided that the coupling element is coupled to the stationary machine part and to the moving machine part during the grinding operation.

Provided is a simple, fast, scalable, and environmentally benign method of producing a graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite directly from a graphitic material, the method comprising: (a) mixing multiple particles of a graphitic material and multiple particles of a solid polymer carrier material to form a mixture in an impacting chamber of an energy impacting apparatus; (b) operating the energy impacting apparatus with a frequency and an intensity for a length of time sufficient for peeling off graphene sheets from the graphitic material and transferring the graphene sheets to surfaces of solid polymer carrier material particles to produce graphene-coated or graphene-embedded polymer particles inside the impacting chamber; and (c) forming graphene-coated or graphene-embedded polymer particles into the graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite. Also provided is a mass of the graphene-coated or graphene-embedded polymer particles produced by this method.

The present invention provides a grinding and shaping method using a vertical grinding mill. The grinding and shaping method comprises selecting a vertical grinding mill with thread pitch/diameter ratio of a spiral rotor; selecting the grade of a grinding medium and determining a filling factor and adding the grinding medium into a grinding chamber of the vertical grinding mill; sequentially initiating a dust collector, an air blowing device, a driving device and a feeding device; adjusting rotation speed of the spiral rotor; feeding a raw material into the feeding port at an upper end of the grinding chamber; initiating a discharging device, and discharging the raw material from a discharging port; wherein when selecting the vertical grinding mill, the thread pitch/diameter ratio of the spiral rotor is determined according to the Mohs hardness of the raw material.

The present invention provides a grinding and shaping method using a vertical grinding mill. The grinding and shaping method comprises selecting a vertical grinding mill with thread pitch/diameter ratio of a spiral rotor; selecting the grade of a grinding medium and determining a filling factor and adding the grinding medium into a grinding chamber of the vertical grinding mill; sequentially initiating a dust collector, an air blowing device, a driving device and a feeding device; adjusting rotation speed of the spiral rotor; feeding a raw material into the feeding port at an upper end of the grinding chamber; initiating a discharging device, and discharging the raw material from a discharging port; wherein when selecting the vertical grinding mill, the thread pitch/diameter ratio of the spiral rotor is determined according to the Mohs hardness of the raw material.

An assembly comprises a vessel comprising a shell exhibiting at least one opening extending therethrough, a structure covering an internal surface of the shell, and at least one plug device contacting the shell and the structure. The at least one plug device comprises a rigid body comprising a male connection structure longitudinally extending into the least one opening, and a base structure extending outwardly beyond a lateral periphery of the male connection structure and positioned longitudinally between the structure and the shell. A plug device for a milling application, and a method of plugging a component of an assembly are also described.

A continuous mill, comprising: a casing (1) having a substantially cylindrical shape and rotating about an axis of rotation (X); an inlet opening (2), concentric to the axis of rotation (X); an inlet duct (20), connected to the inlet opening (2); an outlet opening (3), concentric to the axis of rotation (X); an outlet duct (30), connected to the discharge opening (3); a bend (11), arranged along the outlet duct (30), which defines a curve of the outlet duct (30); a regulator (12) associated with the bend (11) and predisposed for varying the position of the bend (11) so as to vary at least the height thereof; a first aeration duct (21), connected to the inlet duct (20), and a second aeration duct (31), connected to the outlet duct (30), wherein the first and second aeration ducts (21, 31) are open to the atmosphere.

A continuous mill, comprising: a casing (1) having a substantially cylindrical shape and rotating about an axis of rotation (X); an inlet opening (2), concentric to the axis of rotation (X); an inlet duct (20), connected to the inlet opening (2); an outlet opening (3), concentric to the axis of rotation (X); an outlet duct (30), connected to the discharge opening (3); a bend (11), arranged along the outlet duct (30), which defines a curve of the outlet duct (30); a regulator (12) associated with the bend (11) and predisposed for varying the position of the bend (11) so as to vary at least the height thereof; a first aeration duct (21), connected to the inlet duct (20), and a second aeration duct (31), connected to the outlet duct (30), wherein the first and second aeration ducts (21, 31) are open to the atmosphere.

An insert for covering one or more selected surfaces of a discharge end assembly including a discharge end wall of a mill shell partially defined by an outer perimeter wall thereof and a number of pulp lifters mounted on the discharge end wall. The insert is formed to cover the selected surfaces to mitigate wear to which the selected surfaces are subjected when the insert is located in a predetermined position relative to the selected surfaces.

An insert for covering one or more selected surfaces of a discharge end assembly including a discharge end wall of a mill shell partially defined by an outer perimeter wall thereof and a number of pulp lifters mounted on the discharge end wall. The insert is formed to cover the selected surfaces to mitigate wear to which the selected surfaces are subjected when the insert is located in a predetermined position relative to the selected surfaces.

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for producing nanometer scale particles for electrochemical materials utilizing an electrosterically stabilized slurry in a media mill. The method includes adding to a media mill a feed substrate suspension including a liquid carrier medium and electrochemical feed substrate particles. The method further includes adding to the feed substrate suspension in the media mill an electrosteric dispersant that includes a polyelectrolyte. Still further, the method includes operating the media mill for a period of time to comminute the feed substrate particles, thereby forming nanometer scale particles having a (D.sub.90) particle size of less than about one micron, and recirculating for further grinding the nanometer scale particles from the media mill.