0.1 mm Zirconia Beads

Our 0.1 mm zirconia beads come prefilled and ready for use in both 2 mL and 7 mL micro vials with screw capped closure. RNase free and boasting a density of 3.7 g/cc – 50% denser than glass – they make an excellent solution for dissolving tough tissue samples like spores.

High Purity

These zirconia beads are composed of high grade yttria stabilized zirconia. Chemical co-precipitation ensures the formation of tiny zirconia particles for superior wear resistance. Engineered to have an extremely small particle size range and no clogging issues when used in recirculation type mills, this product comes prefiled, self standing 2 mL or 7 mL screw capped tubes that fit most bead homogenizers; loose bulk beads are also available.

Zirconia/Silica beads boast a density of 3.7g/cc (50% more dense than glass) and are ideal for homogenizing bacteria, spores, fungi, yeasts, algae and tougher tissues. Garnet shards can be added to enhance durability and hardness; additionally they’ve been acid washed and heat treated to eliminate contaminants and ensure nuclease-free operation.

Stainless steel and glass (silica) beads can both be effective at disrupting cells and tissues, with stainless steel being more dense than its silica counterpart; zirconium beads offer much higher density, yielding more homogenized samples. Triple-Pure bead tubes come supplied sterile under acid washed conditions after having been heat treated to eliminate DNase, RNase and proteases for added sterility – an excellent option when working with delicate samples – they come sold in one pound bottles.

High Density

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) beads are composed of zirconium oxide mixed with yttrium oxide to provide stabilization. This additive increases strength while simultaneously improving fracture toughness and wear resistance – making these beads perfect for attrition milling, which requires large impact forces on beads and substrate. Furthermore, their chemical inertness minimizes contamination during milling operations.

Y-TZP beads offer greater density compared to glass or styrofoam beads, making them especially suitable for working with tough or fibrous tissue samples that require dense media to effectively grind. Furthermore, the higher density helps decrease self-consumption in mills which increases throughput and productivity in homogenizers.

Y-TZP beads come in two grades – ER120 and Rimax – that meet most lab needs, with ER120 being more economical while Rimax designed to handle higher energy milling without altering particle size or wear rates. Both grades have been found to be 15% superior to Ceria Stabilized Zirconia media when tested, used by many pharmaceutical and biotech companies, university research labs, hospitals as well as being prefilled in 2 mL and 7 mL screw cap microtubes that fit standard bead homogenizers prior to use.

High Energy Efficiency

Zirconium oxide beads provide significant energy savings during grinding due to their low abrasion, high hardness and excellent heat resistance properties. Furthermore, their higher specific density compared to other beads reduces impact force requirements for effective grinding, thus saving power consumption and wear on equipment. Furthermore, these tough beads are resilient enough to withstand mechanical loads during this process without damage occurring to either material or machine during its manufacturing.

Zirconia offers excellent chemical inertness, making it suitable for applications where chemical purity is critical. Furthermore, it has great heat resistance and won’t react with most materials; moreover it is more fracture resistant than tungsten carbide, making it suitable for grinding heavy loads such as working with spores or fibrous tissue like monocotyledon leaves.

Comparing Zirconia beads and tungsten carbide requires taking into account each application’s individual requirements, including hardness of material to be ground, chemical purity levels, particle size requirement and type of grinding process. All these factors need to be taken into consideration.

At laboratory scale, disintegration and protein release from three industry relevant algae (Chlorella vulgaris, Neochloris oleoabundans and Tetraselmis suecica) were examined using various bead sizes (0.1-3 mm). Results demonstrated optimal cell disintegration, protein and carbohydrate release achieved using 0.3 mm beads with 400 seconds processing time; they also led to less energy consumption per volume processed than larger bead sizes.

High Wear Resistance

Zirconia silicate beads boast exceptional wear resistance, enabling them to withstand significant forces during grinding without shattering. Their durability enables consistent and accurate grinding outcomes while minimising impurities that would otherwise disrupt or discolor ground materials, such as in a battery anode application where particle size control is essential.

Zirconia media are ideal for milling a range of materials, such as ceramic ink, MLCC, CMP and photocatalysts. Their chemical inertness means they won’t react with silicon-containing hard materials; additionally, their superior fracture toughness means they can handle heavy mechanical loads without cracking under stress.

Zirconia’s unique properties make it an excellent choice for laboratory DNA, RNA and protein extraction processes. Its combination of hardness and brittleness helps break down tough biological samples more thoroughly than other media types allowing more complete homogenization than ever before. They play a critical role in furthering downstream scientific studies by mitigating potential contamination risks and assuring that extracted materials are of superior purity and quality, so results from sequencing or PCR will be reliable and accurate. For use with bacteria, yeast or fungi samples, we suggest alcohol washed and heat treated 0.1mm zirconia or silica beads that have been alcohol washed to eliminate contaminants and render them nuclease and protease free. When working with tough or fibrous tissue samples, three 2.3 mm chrome-steel beads should be used to break apart spores or monocotyledon leaves for effective disruption.