Hosokawa Micron manufactures two instruments that can mill gypsum products

A storage site for gypsum, which is essential to make plaster and concrete in the construction sector.

Size reduction of materials is an essential application in many industries, from food processing to chemicals. Hosokawa Micron is an international leader in processors that reduce particle size, available in Canada from Firing Industries. A common need in the construction sector is gypsum milling.

Luckily, Hosokawa Micron offers two solutions for gypsum milling: the Hosokawa Mikro ACM Air Classifying Mill, and the Hosokawa Mikro Pulverizer Hammer and Screen Mill.

Needed for plaster and cement

Gypsum is a mineral made out of calcium sulfate dehydrate, formed after a body of water evaporates; miners extract the mineral from evaporated beds, where it may include small levels of quartz, sand, or other abrasive impurities. Gypsum also forms during flue gas desulfurization process in power stations. Pure calcium carbonate is a soft compound, a defining material with a Mohs hardness of two.

Construction companies need this material for sheet-rock and wall finishing: it forms plaster by losing its hydration during heating, and then water is added to form cement. A good gypsum milling device reduces the particles for easier use.

Firing Industries supplies both of the standard Hosokawa Micron products for milling gypsum. The ACM Air Classifying Mill features a rotating rotor disc with hammers, which can rotate as quickly as 23,000 feet per minute. The device’s internal air classifier controls the particle size and sharpens the size distribution.

The ACM comes in various classifier designs, to make materials ranging from coarse, 100-mesh products to fine grains of 400 mesh, or with a setting of less than ten microns. Hosokawa Micron also offers abrasion-resistant options, like tungsten-carbide tipping, Ni-Hard, or ceramic liners, for abrasive impurities; these can extend the operation life of mill components. The ACM can also use warm air to dry products during milling applications.

The Pulverizer Hammer and Screen Mill is recommended for coarser-grade gypsum. This device has swing hammers with interchangeable screen liners to produce products ranging from 50 to 150 mesh. It requires less air than the ACM does and serves as a more inexpensive option.

To learn more, contact Firing Industries’ application-sales engineers at ddubuc@firing.com or (877) 688-0974.

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