Numerical approach of grinding process in a stirred media mill

Abstract

Producing nanoparticles in dense suspensions can be achieved in a stirred media mill. However the mechanism of fragmentation in the mill is still not well understood and the process remains laborious because of the considerable energy needed. We focus on the numerical analysis of the global hydrodynamics in the mill for determining the parameters which control the efficiency of the collisions between grinding beads (impact velocities and orientation of the collision). The suspension flow is modelled with effective physical properties. We solve directly the Navier-Stokes equations in an axisymmetric two-dimensional domain. Then, we select some particular impact configurations of two spherical beads and simulate the flow motion during the film drainage.