Disc pulverizers for plastic powder production
A pulverizer is not a shredder with a finer screen. Where a shredder shears material into chips, a disc mill grinds it against a rotating and a stationary disc until it becomes powder. That is a different job with a different purpose: powder is what rotational moulders, masterbatch producers and compounders buy, and it commands a higher price per kilo than the same plastic in flake form.
The YH-800 in this catalogue is a vertical disc machine with a fixed grinding disc and a rotating one. Material is fed at the centre, is thrown outward by centrifugal action, and is ground progressively finer as it travels toward the periphery. A classifier at the discharge holds the powder at the target fineness and returns oversize to the grinding zone rather than letting it pass.
What decides whether pulverizing suits your material
- Thermoplastic, not thermoset. PE, PP, PVC and ABS grind well. Cured resins and rubber do not — they bounce, smear or burn.
- Feed size and shape. Disc mills want a consistent granulate, typically under 10 mm. Flakes, regrind and pellets feed well; whole mouldings do not.
- Temperature control. Grinding generates heat, and heat is what turns powder into a smeared mess on the disc. Throughput must be balanced against the cooling available.
- Target mesh. Finer powder means lower throughput for the same motor. Set the specification from what your customer actually buys, not from the finest number the machine can reach.
Where the machine sits in a recycling line
Typically after washing and drying: clean flake goes in, powder comes out. Running wet or contaminated material through a disc mill wears the discs and contaminates the powder, so the upstream stages matter as much as the mill itself.
Frequently asked questions
What fineness can the mill reach?
Fineness is set by the classifier and the disc gap, and it trades directly against throughput. Tell us the mesh your buyer specifies and we will configure the machine to that target rather than to its maximum.
Can it grind PVC?
Rigid PVC grinds well. Plasticised PVC is more difficult because the plasticiser softens the material under heat, so throughput has to be reduced and the cooling arrangement checked.
How long do the discs last?
Disc life depends on abrasive content and on how carefully the feed is screened for metal and grit. Discs are replaceable and are usually re-cut rather than discarded, which keeps running cost predictable.