Centrifugal grinding mills

A method of grinding solid particles comprising the steps of:

• providing a grinding chamber of substantially circular cross-section with respect to an axis of symmetry.
• providing a discharge end defining openings therein on said grinding chamber,
• providing a charge of grinding media in said grinding chamber,
• supporting said grinding chamber in a grinding mill,
• operatively coupling a feed passage to one end of said grinding chamber remote from the discharge end of said grinding chamber,
• introducing the solid particles to be ground through said feed passage into said grinding chamber,
• imparting nutation motion to said grinding chamber about a relatively stationary axis so as to cause a grinding action within said grinding chamber, said axis of symmetry and said relatively stationary axis intersecting at a point of nutation symmetry.
• exerting pressure on the grinding media in a direction away from said point of nutation symmetry to limit the dilation of and to effectively contain the grinding media, and
• recovering ground particles discharged through said openings.

A method of grinding solid particles comprising the steps of:

• providing a grinding chamber of substantially circular cross-section with respect to an axis of symmetry,
• defining an opening in said grinding chamber for admitting fluid to said grinding chamber,
• providing a charge of grinding media in said grinding chamber,
• introducing the solid particles to be ground into said grinding chamber,
• imparting nutating motion to said grinding chamber about a relatively stationary axis so as to cause a grinding action within said grinding chamber, said axis of symmetry and said relatively stationary axis intersecting at a point of nutation symmetry,
• exerting pressure on the grinding media in a direction away from said point of nutation symmetry to the limit the dilation of and to effectively contain the grinding media,
• admitting fluid through said opening to sweep said grinding chamber and to convey ground particles in a direction counter to said particles being introduced into said grinding chamber, and
• recovering ground particles conveyed by the fluid.