Phenolic resin is an important thermosetting plastic widely used in abrasive products, refractory materials, friction materials, and coating industries. The Indian customer involved in this project is a leading local supplier of chemical materials. With increasing downstream demand for higher product fineness, the customer’s existing grinding equipment could no longer meet the stringent particle size distribution requirements.
Customer Requirements
- Final particle size: D50 = 20 μm
- Production capacity: Stable output of 500 kg/h
- Temperature control: Phenolic resin is heat-sensitive and tends to soften and agglomerate when exposed to heat, so strict temperature control inside the grinding chamber is essential
- Explosion protection: Resin dust poses an explosion risk, requiring an explosion-proof system design
Technical Solution: Epic Powder Pin Mill System
Based on the physical characteristics of phenolic resin, Epic Powder designed a customized ultrafine grinding production line for phenolic resin centered on a pin mill.
Core Advantages of the Equipment
- High linear speed shear: The pin mill uses two sets of pin discs rotating at high relative speeds, generating extremely high linear velocities. The material is subjected to high-frequency impact, shear, and friction between the pins, enabling micron-level grinding.
- Excellent temperature control: The pin mill features a large airflow design. Combined with a cooling jacket or cold air source in the grinding system, it effectively removes heat generated during grinding and prevents resin melting.
- Flexible particle size control: By adjusting the rotor speed via a variable-frequency drive, the final particle size can be precisely controlled, easily achieving the target D50 of 20 μm.
System Configuration
- Feeding system: Variable-frequency screw feeder ensuring uniform feeding at 500 kg/h
- Main mill: Epic Powder dedicated pin mill equipped with a high-precision dynamically balanced rotor
- Collection system: High-efficiency cyclone collector + pulse bag filter, with a collection efficiency of up to 99.9%
- Safety protection: The complete system is equipped with nitrogen circulation protection (optional) and explosion venting valves to ensure operational safety
Performance Comparison
After processing with the Epic Powder pin mill, the phenolic resin demonstrated excellent particle size distribution and physical properties, highlighting the effectiveness of ultrafine grinding for phenolic resin:
| Parameter | Customer Requirement | Actual Test Results |
|---|---|---|
| Final particle size D50 | 20 μm | 18.5 – 19.8 μm |
| Hourly output | 500 kg/h | 520 – 550 kg/h |
| Particle morphology | Uniform, no agglomeration | Well-shaped particles, narrow distribution |
| System temperature | < 45°C | Stable at around 38°C |