Milling Aluminum

[Sparx88]

I heard that lead media will work, I heard that a couple dollars of nickels works better, and I heard stainless steel balls are great, Brass.....Is there a true best media for rendering large mesh aluminum into powder ?

[psyco_1322]

I think you should stop trying to mill Al, and just purchase what you need. You will find it much easier.

 

In the sense of milling, you are wanting a hard media, preferably with a high density, that will not react with the stuff you are milling. The media can not be softer than what you are milling, else you will be milling your media with whatever you put into the mill.

[Niladmirari]

My milling aluminum.

 

I used silver paint:

 

http://savepic.su/4010728m.jpg

 

I did microphotograph.

 

Before milling:

 

http://savepic.su/4001512m.jpg

 

http://savepic.su/3999464m.jpg

 

Two days milling:

 

http://savepic.su/4005608m.jpg

 

Five days milling:

 

http://savepic.su/4055787m.jpg

 

Test on paper:

 

http://savepic.su/4061931m.jpg

 

Milling was carried out in a polypropylene drum 3 liters, volume of steel balls of about 0.6 liters.
On the second day of grinding added a small amount of charcoal.
Since the milling process is to form a new surface, it is necessary to open once daily drum to the surface of the aluminum oxide film was delayed. Exothermic process temperature may rise to spontaneous combustion of aluminum. The reaction can be suppressed by stretching in time supply of fresh air.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Niladmirari

[schroedinger]

The best would be to use brass or steel.

Also if you can get it, best start of with the atomized painting aluminium which is normally between 30 and 120 micrometers in size. (Mainly 65).

For bigger stuff a kitchen blender is enough

[psyco_1322]

The best would be to use brass or steel. Also if you can get it, best start of with the atomized painting aluminium which is normally between 30 and 120 micrometers in size. (Mainly 65). For bigger stuff a kitchen blender is enough

 

I'm pretty sure most painting Al is of the bright flake variety. Why would you put Al in a kitchen blender, what do you think you will get?

[schroedinger]

The finner Al stuff from paint suppliers should be atomised. The flake type only saw once with a size of >120 microns.

The atomised stuff is often used for embedding into polymer matrixes, as it react with it, forming holes, and thus giving a leightweight filling.

[psyco_1322]

The finner Al stuff from paint suppliers should be atomised. The flake type only saw once with a size of >120 microns. The atomised stuff is often used for embedding into polymer matrixes, as it react with it, forming holes, and thus giving a leightweight filling.

 

If that's the case for the atomised Al, then that isn't paint. They use bright flake to make silver paint, using atomised Al would just make for a grey-off white paint. They do use atomised Al for filler in epoxy like mixes, but not in paint, to my knowledge at least. 120 microns is only about 130 mesh, which is kinda chunky for silver paint, may be its used to add a flake effect to paints.