Comminution of silicone rubber

The task was to comminute the silicone rubber sample in the photo. In fact down to a particle size < 1 mm with the option - depending on the use of the comminuted material - even down to 0.1 mm. The material is very elastic. Therefore the first assumption was that a comminution is only possible with cutting mills and cooling with dry ice is mandatory.

For the first step of the comminution of larger amounts we recommend the Universal Cutting Mill PULVERISETTE 19 large.
For analytical amounts a manual pre-comminution is possible. The in the example prepared sample was now additionally comminuted with the Universal Cutting Mill PULVERISETTE 19.

Due to positive experiences with other elastomers, part of the sample was mixed with dry ice and comminuted with the use of the 4 mm sieve. This was possible without any problems. It is to be noted, that the silicone rubber, despite being cooled, remained elastic. The comminution in the second attempt was also without any difficulty.

For the additional preparation, the sample comminuted down to 4 mm, was mixed with dry ice and put through the 1 mm sieve with the PULVERISETTE 19. The material could be comminuted very well. Therefore the first requirement was met: 100 % of the sample was comminuted down to < 1 mm. In order to generate finer materials, again dry ice was mixed in and it was attempted to comminute the material with the cutting mill with a 0.5 mm sieve. This attempt failed: the possible obtainable final fineness with a cutting mill is limited to a sieve throughput smaller than 1 mm.

Since the desired final fineness could not be obtained in this manner, in the next attempt, the Variable Speed Rotor Mill PULVERISETTE 14 classic line with a 0.5 mm sieve was utilized. Used was the previously comminuted down to 4 mm material (comminuted without cooling with the Universal Cutting Mill PULVERISETTE 19). For this attempt the material was not cooled with dry ice. Without any difficulty, with this mill, silicone rubber could be comminuted with the sieve throughput of 0.5 mm. In the last attempt, the previously with the cutting mill down to < 1 mm comminuted material, was prepared with the Variable Speed Rotor Mill PULVERISETTE 14 classic line by using a 0.2 mm sieve. The material could be put through a 0.2 mm sieve without cooling.