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Mixer Mill MM 400

Артикул: ММ 400
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The Mixer Mill MM 400 is a true multipurpose mill designed for dry, wet and cryogenic grinding of small volumes up to 2 x 20 ml. It mixes and homogenizes powders and suspensions with a frequency of 30 Hz within seconds – unbeatably fast and easy to operate.

The compact benchtop unit is suitable for classic homogenization processes, as well as for biological cell disruption for DNA/RNA and protein extraction. Long processing times up to 99 hours make the MM 400 ideally suited for research applications, for example in mechanochemistry.
With regard to performance and flexibility of this mill, there is no equivalent technology available in the market.
You may also be interested in the mixer mill models MM 500 nano and MM 500 vario which operate with the same functional principle at a frequency of 35 Hz but provide substantially higher performance. For applications which require cooling or heating the sample, the Mixer Mill MM 500 control is the perfect choice. Each RETSCH mixer mill has a specific application focus.

THE MOST VERSATILE ALL-ROUNDER OF BALL MILLS

  • Max. speed 30 Hz
  • Horizontal oscillation causes strong impact effects for effective sample processing
  • Up to 8 mm feed size and 5 µm final fineness
  • 2 grinding stations for jars of min 2 ml and max 50 ml, adapter for 10 x 2 ml single use vials and 4 x 50 ml conical centrifugation tubes
  • Steel jars can be precooled manually in liquid nitrogen
  • Calibrated speed and time, small benchtop model, storable SOPs and cycle programs, 7 different jar materials

PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN

  • Powerful size reduction and homogenization by impact and friction with up to 30 Hz
  • Equipped with 2 grinding stations for up to 20 samples per run
  • Memory for 12 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and 6 program cycles
  • Convenient touch display, significant noise reduction

UNMATCHED VERSATILITY

  • 3 different grinding modes: dry, wet or cryogenic
  • Mixes powdered sample and binder in plastic vessels prior to pelletizing, e. g. for XRF analysis
  • Suitable for research applications such as mechanochemistry or for biological cell disruption by bead beating
  • Extraction of pesticides (QuEChERS) and herbal ingredients

SOLUTIONS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS AND CELL DISRUPTION

Mixer mills are frequently used for homogenizing biological samples. The so-called bead beating with small glass beads is an established method for cell disruption of yeasts, microalgae or bacteria. The sample is only moderately warmed in the process which can be reduced to a minimum by pre-cooling.

The MM 400 allows for efficient cell disruption of up to 240 ml cell suspension for DNA/RNA and protein extraction. For accurate diagnosis of infections, it is possible to isolate intact bacteria from tissue in 8 x 30 ml bottles or 10 x 5 ml vials by using adapters.
The MM 400 can be operated with a range of adapters for single-use vials with the following capacities:
20 x 0.2 ml / 20 x 1.5 or 2 ml / 10 x 5 ml / 8 x 30 ml / 8 x 50 ml
For the pulverization of 25 to 30 g plant material, such as cannabis flower, conical centrifuge tubes are best suited. Up to 8 tissue samples, like fresh liver in buffer solution, can also be homogenized in these 50 ml tubes using steel or zirconium oxide balls. To keep the mechanical stress on the vials as low as possible, a reduced frequency and a high filling level, e. g. with buffer and sample, are recommended.

SOLUTIONS FOR CRYOGENIC GRINDING

The CryoKit is a cost-effective solution for cryogenic sample processing with the Mixer Mill MM 400. The set consists of two insulated containers, two tongs and safety glasses.
The sample to be embrittled and the grinding ball are filled into the stainless-steel grinding jar which is tightly screwed. Indirect embrittlement is effected by pre-cooling the jar in a liquid nitrogen bath. After approximately 2 minutes, the sample is sufficiently cooled for cryogenic processing.
If direct contact with liquid nitrogen is to be avoided, the CryoMill or Mixer Mill MM 500 control are suitable options. Both mills can be operated with jars made of other materials than steel for cryogenic grinding.

APPLICATIONS IN MECHANOCHEMISTRY

Mechanochemistry enables fast reactions of substances in a solvent-free environment. Some chemical reactions require the frictional forces of a planetary ball mill, while other reaction types need energy input through impact – that is where the Mixer Mill MM 400 comes into play.
The sample volumes available for research applications are often very low. This makes small grinding jar sizes of up to 50 ml, like they are available for the MM 400, beneficial. Due to the frequently long reaction times, the possibility to program process times of several hours is another important aspect.
Mixer mills offer a unique advantage over planetary ball mills in mechanochemical applications: the use of transparent jars in combination with the typical horizontal jar movement enables in-situ RAMAN spectroscopy. This permits real-time monitoring of the reaction process to identify the optimal time for maximum yield and avoid prolonged processing.
The MM 400 offers many advantages for mechanochemical applications:
  • Process times of up to 99 h
  • Various grinding jar sizes and materials
  • Transparent PMMA grinding jars enable in-situ RAMAN spectroscopy
  • Programmable frequency and break times
  • Adapter for 4 x 5 ml stainless-steel grinding jars permits up to 8 simultaneous reactions

Time course of the Knoevenagel reaction between vanillin and barbituric acid under mechanochemical conditions using 2x10mm zirconium oxide grinding balls in 19 ml PMMA grinding jar at 30 Hz. Reaction running over 30 minutes with visible progress indicated by color change.

Courtesy of Dr. Sven Grätz, Ruhr-University Bochum, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, AG Prof. Borchardt.

TYPICAL SAMPLE MATERIALS

RETSCH mixer mills are true allrounders. They homogenize, for example, alloys, animal feed, bones, ceramics, cereals, chemical products, coal, coke, drugs, electronic scrap, glass, grains, hair, minerals, oil seeds, ores, paper, plant materials, plastics, sewage sludge, soils, straw, tablets, textiles, tissue, tobacco, waste samples, wood, wool, etc.

FIBROUS: HAIR

30 ml sample

50 ml stainless steel jar

1 x 25 mm stainless steel ball

2 min at 30 Hz

CELL DISRUPTION: MICROALGAE

30 ml cell suspension

8 x 50 ml conical centrifuge tubes (adapter)

with 25 ml glass beads each; 0,5-0,75 mm

30 s at 30 Hz

ELASTIC-LIQUID: CAPSULES WITH LIQUID

15 ml sample

50 ml stainless steel jar

1 x 25 mm stainless steel ball

embrittlement in LN2 for 3 min

4 x 2 min at 30 Hz with intermediate cooling

MEDIUM-HARD/ FIBROUS: SOIL

20 ml sample

50 ml stainless steel jar

1 x 25 mm stainless steel ball

1 min at 30 Hz

TOUGH-FIBROUS: WOOD

5 ml sample

10 ml zirconium oxide jar

2 x 12 mm zirconium oxide balls

3 min at 30 Hz

ELASTIC-TOUGH: POLYURETHANE PELLETS

20 ml sample

50 ml stainless steel jar

1 x 25 mm stainless steel ball

embrittlement in LN2 for 3 min

4 x 2 min at 30 Hz with intermediate cooling

FIBROUS: CANNABIS

3 g sample

50 ml stainless steel jar

1 x 25 mm stainless steel ball

embrittlement with LN2 for 2 min

90 s at 30 Hz

HARD-BRITTLE: CONCRETE

10 ml sample

25 ml zirconium oxide jar

2 x 15 mm zirconium oxide balls

2 min at 30 Hz

TECHNICAL DATA

Applicationssize reduction, mixing, homogenization, cell disruption, cryogenic grinding, mechanochemistry
Field of application agriculture, biology, chemistry / plastics, construction materials, engineering / electronics, environment / recycling, food, geology / metallurgy, glass / ceramics, medicine / pharmaceuticals
Feed material hard, medium-hard, soft, brittle, elastic, fibrous
Size reduction principle impact, friction
Material feed size* <= 8 mm
Final fineness* ~ 5 µm
Batch size / feed quantity* max. 2 x 20 ml
No. of grinding stations 2
Vibrational frequency 3 - 30 Hz (180 - 1800 min-1)
Typical mean grinding time 30 s - 2 min
Max. grindig time 99 h
Dry grinding yes
Wet grinding yes
Cryogenic grinding yes
Cell disruption with reaction vials yes, up to 20 x 2.0 ml
Self-centering clamping device yes
Type of grinding jars  screw top design
Material of grinding tools hardened steel, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, agate, zirconium oxide, PTFE, PMMA
Grinding jar sizes 1.5 ml / 5 ml / 10 ml / 25 ml / 35 ml / 50ml
Setting of grinding time digital, 10 s - 8 h
Storable SOPs 12
Storable cycle programs 6
Electrical supply data 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
Power connection 1-phase
Protection code IP 30
Power consumption 165W
W x H x D closed 385 x 350 x 470 mm
Net weight ~ 27,5 kg
Standards 

СЕ

*depending on feed material and instrument configuration/settings

FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLE

The grinding jars of the mixer mill MM 400 perform radial oscillations in a horizontal position. The inertia of the grinding balls causes them to impact with high energy on the sample material at the rounded ends of the jars and pulverize it. Also, the movement of the jars combined with the movement of the balls result in the intensive mixing of the sample.
The degree of mixing can be increased even further by using several smaller balls. If several small balls are used (e.g. glass beads) then, for example, biological cells can be disrupted. The large frictional impact effects between the beads ensure effective cell disruption.

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