Agitated-media mill with a baffled inner wall

Abstract

An agitated-media mill of the batch, circulation, or continuous types in which the elements of a comminuting media randomly interact in response to an agitator having motion relative to the comminuting media to comminute the process mixture. In one embodiment the agitated-media mill includes a baffle adjacent the inner wall of the comminuting vessel and arranged transversely with respect to the flow of the process mixture. The baffle redirects the comminuting elements to increase the random interaction of the elements throughout the vessel and also opposes the solid body rotation of the process mixture to provide improved comminution of the mixture. The cross-sectional shape and general configuration of the baffle is chosen with respect to, the particular type and application of the agitated-media will aid in complete comminution of the process mixture and to retard accumulation of particles on the baffle and adjacent surfaces. A plurality of baffles can be located at various circumferential locations about the vessel, and can be permanently or removably attached to the vessel inner wall. In another embodiment, the radial members of the agitator are non-circular and are disposed to operate as baffles that establish vertically oscillating flow of the mixture to increase the random interaction of the elements and improve comminution of the mixture.