Using the Fritsch Ball Mill for Soil Sample Preparation

The soil sample must be finely ground before analysis. Therefore we use the Fritsch ball mill, which grinds the soil to a particle size smaller than 0.1 mm, ensuring a fully homogeneous sample.

Setup and Preparation

1. Switch on the Fritsch mill and turn on the control panel by pulling it towards you.

2. Press “Open” and take the first pot out. Open the pot. Each pot should contain 10 milling balls and 1 silicone ring.

Loading & Preparing the Samples 

3. Pour the vial soil sample into the pot and close the lid securely. The black handles of the lid should fit perfectly in the pot.

4. Place the pot back into the mill:

• Press the red button to position the pot
• Push the black knob to secure it (pushing the pot further down) 
• Lower the black hooks to lock the pot in place

5. Press “2” to rotate the second pot into position, repeat the same steps for the second sample.

6. Take the second pot out, fill it with the next sample, close it and put in back in.

Menu settings for the Fritsch ball mill should be as follows:

• Speed: 500 rpm
• Timer: 180 sec
• Pause: 00 sec
• Cycles: 01/01
• Reverse: Off

Always mill 2 SAMPLES at the same time. Always mill with 10 BALLS per pot. Doing otherwise will damange the Fritsch mill! 

Milling Process

7. Press Start and mill for 3 minutes. The machine will stop automatically.

8. Press Open and remove the first pot. Use the funnel and the sieve to pour the sample back into the initial vial (use the scraper to collect the remains of the sample). 

9. Repeat the procedure with the second pot.

Cleaning After Use 

Always clean the pots before milling a new sample. Soil from a previous sample can decrease the accuracy of the soil analysis. 

After each sample, clean:

• Pots
• Balls
• Funnel
• Sieve
• Use water + paper towel to dry

End of Day Cleaning

Always leave the Fritsch clean at the end of the day. 

If available, use cleaning sand:

1. Add ~30 ml of cleaning sand to each pot
2. Close and place pots in the mill following the previous procedure
3. Mill both pots for 3 minutes
4. Remove sand
5. Clean pots with dry paper towels
6. Dispose of used sand

For questions or assistance, contact: support@agrocares.com