Ceramic Ball Mill Relining and Refurbishing

Ceramic ball mill linings will eventually wear down and need replacement. Even old pebble mills with Burrstone linings can be relined with high-alumina brick. We tear out and dispose of the old brick, check the steel shell thickness, repair or replace and thin or corroded section and the install the new brick lining.

We use only high quality, fine-grain 90% (or 96%) alumina brick with tongue and groove design. Bricks are secured and grouted with pure Portland cement or two-part epoxy. When it is time to reline a mill that is also a good time to check the bearings and drives components. If the mill is old and has babbitted bearings we can machine the trunnions and replace the old friction bearings with sealed roller bearings. We can also rebuild or replaced drive components including ring & pinion gears and reducers and motors.

Repair and Refurbishing Services:

  • We reline all sizes of ceramic lined ball mills or pebble mills. We can also replace Burrstone linings with alumina brick.
  • Relining can be performed at your facility or at our shop in Bensenville, IL.
  • Polyurethane and rubber lined mills can be relined only at our Bensenville facility.
  • We use only high quality, fine-grain 90% alumina brick with tongue and groove design.
  • Bricks are secured and grouted with pure Portland cement. Two-part epoxy can also be used to provide a crevice free milling surface.
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Typical Composition of Alumina Brick:
Al2O3 90%, SiO2 6%, other 4%

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Repair or Replace Other Components:

  • Mill cylinders
  • Replace portions of a corroded cylinder
  • Repair babbitted bearings
  • Replace Babbitted bearings with roller bearings including machining the trunnions to size
  • Replace ring & pinion gears and gear reducers or entire drive systems

Alumina Brick Properties:

  • Mohs Hardness: 8.5-9
  • Density: 3.5-3.6 g/cc
  • Apparent Porosity: 0%
  • Maximum Temperature: 2,292°F
  • Chemical Resistance:
  • All acids (except hydrofluoric)
  • All bases - Std. NaOH 25%@ 95°F

No matter what type of ball mill you have, we can help you put it back into productive service.

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Types of Mills Repaired:

  • Ball Mills
  • Batch Mills
  • Burrstone Mills
  • Ceramic Lined Mills
  • Conical Mills
  • Continuous Mills
  • Dry Grinding Mills
  • Pebble Mills
  • Polyurethane Lined Mills
  • Rod Mills
  • Rubber Lined Mills
  • Tube Mills
  • Tumble Mills
  • Wet Grinding Mills

Brands of Mill Repaired:

  • Abbe Engineering
  • Allis Chalmers
  • Alpine
  • Denver
  • Epworth
  • FL Smith
  • Hardinge
  • Marcy
  • Metso
  • Netzsch
  • Patterson
  • Paul O. Abbe
  • Stevco Co.
  • U.S. Stoneware

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Dos and Don’ts for Relined Ceramic Ball Mills

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in brick damage and voiding of any warranties.

  • DO follow the curing instruction exactly – too fast or too slow curing will cause the cement to crack.
  • DO NOT drop grinding media directly into the mill. This will damage and crack the bricks.
  • DO load the media gently by rolling the media in or fill the mill with your product first to cushion the addition of media.
  • DO NOT operate the mill above 60%-65% of critical speed. Doing so may cause the media to cataract (fly through the void space) and strike the mill wall causing chipping or cracking of the brick. Below 65% of critical speed the media will tumble and cascade and give the most efficient milling.
  • DO NOT drop the covers – The ceramic brick will chip and crack.
  • DO NOT strike the covers if they are stuck. Use the lever points to pry the cover.
  • DO expect some minor chipping of the brick around the cover gate and frames – this may occur as a NORMAL part of the break in.

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If in doubt, call the experts at Paul O. Abbe and we will assist you with installation, media loading and operation of your mill.


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Call 630-350-3012 to speak to the Experts at Paul O. Abbe® so we can answer any questions you may have concerning relining or refurbishing your ball mill or ceramic lined mill.