Planetary Ball Mills as an instrument in mechanochemistry

Chemistry can be divided in many different fields. Electro-chemistry and biochemistry are to be mentioned as an example. The beginnings of mechanochemistry can be traced to the start of the 19^thcentury ^[1]. The first studies were conducted by M. Carey Lea and focused on mechanically induced reactions of solids. Lea used a metal halide and processed it with a mortar: separating the metal and halogen. This was the beginning of numerous research activities and thus founded an additional sub field of physical chemistry  ^[2].

In mechanochemistry, the emphasis is on the synthesis of new materials, respectively the alteration of existing material properties. Here it is attempted to break apart the known atomic structure of a material and the links of individual atoms chains or also replacing existing gaps with other material ^[3]. This process requires special conditions, since in these structures numerous forces are at work. With a Planetary Ball Mill the needed high impact forces, high pressures and the necessary temperature are perfectly obtained ^[4].

One specific field of the mechanochemistry is the tribochemistry, it deals with mechanical alloying. The term tribochemistry is derived from tribology, which means the study of friction. During mechanical alloying only surfaces are coated with other materials and the core structure is not altered. Due to the already mentioned forces during mechanochemistry, the particle size of the material becomes smaller and the specific surface enlarged.