How to Select the Right Pulverizer?

When choosing a pulverizer, the following factors need to be comprehensively considered:

1. Analyze Material Characteristics (The Most Important Factor)

Hardness

• High-hardness materials (e.g., ceramics, metal oxides, certain minerals): Prioritize equipment based on extrusion and impact principles, such as jaw crushers, cone crushers, or impact crushers. Avoid grinding-based equipment, as wear will be severe.

• Medium-to-low hardness  materials (most chemical raw materials, food, Chinese herbal medicines): A wide range of  options is available, including universal crushers, hammer mills, and turbo crushers.

Toughness/Fibrous

• Tough, fibrous, or flexible  materials (e.g., plant roots/rhizomes, plastics, animal tissue, leather): Shearing force is most effective. Choose turbo crushers or universal crushers (with shear cutter heads). Never use extrusion-type crushers—they tend to press materials into flakes rather than powder.

Brittleness

• Brittle materials (e.g., most crystals, grains, brittle minerals): Almost all types of equipment are suitable,  especially impact crushers (e.g., hammer mills, universal crushers) which offer the highest efficiency.

Moisture & Fat Content

• Materials with high moisture (>15%) or high fat (>5%) are prone to adhesion, clogging screens and chambers. Select high-speed  crushers with powerful wall-breaking capabilities and screen-cleaning    devices (e.g., turbo crushers), or use cryogenic crushing technology. Drying or degreasing may be required beforehand.

Heat Sensitivity

• Will the material decompose, melt, or deteriorate when heated? If yes, choose low-speed shear crushers or equipment that can introduce cooling media (e.g., jet mills, which use compressed air expansion for refrigeration).

2. Define Process Requirements

Target Particle Size

• Coarse/medium crushing (output >5mm):Coarse crushers are suitable.

• Fine crushing (output 150μm–5mm): The most common range; universal crushers and hammer mills are the primary  choices.

• Ultrafine crushing (output<150μm, down to micron level): Select ultra-fine crushers, jet mills, ball mills, or  vibration mills.

Capacity Requirements

• Laboratory/R&D: Small-scale equipment with capacities from a few grams per hour to tens of kilograms per hour.

• Small-to-medium batch production:Medium-sized equipment with capacities from tens to hundreds of kilograms per hour.

• Large-scale continuous  production: Large, automated equipment with capacities measured in tons per hour. Capacity directly determines the equipment model and size.

Feeding & Discharging Methods

• Feeding: Manual feeding or automatic feeding with screw conveyors/vibrating feeders?

• Discharging: Direct discharge or negative-pressure conveying to the next process (e.g., screening, mixing)?  This determines whether the equipment needs an integrated conveying system.

3. Evaluate Other Key Factors

Cleaning & Sanitation Requirements

• Pharmaceutical/food industry: Must choose GMP-compliant equipment made of 316L stainless steel with high surface finish for easy disassembly and thorough cleaning.

• Chemical industry: Also requires easy cleaning  to prevent cross-contamination, but standards may be slightly lower than  those for pharmaceutical/food applications.

Safety & Explosion-Proof

• When processing flammable and explosive dust (e.g., metal powder, flour, certain chemicals), the  equipment must have an explosion-proof design.

Budget

• Acquisition cost: Prices vary significantly by principle and equipment size.

• Operating cost: Includes energy consumption, replacement of wear parts, labor costs, etc.

Summary

The key to selecting a crusher lies in:

1. Matching equipment principles to material properties (e.g., shear for fibrous materials, impact for brittle materials).

2. Aligning equipment  specifications with process demands (target particle size, capacity, feeding/discharging).

3. Considering industry-specific  requirements (cleanliness, safety, budget).

By systematically analyzing these factors, you can select a crusher that balances efficiency, cost, and compliance with production needs.