Abstract
This review paper introduces different materials and processes created and developed, respectively by means of grinding technology carried out at our lab since 1990. The technology is very simple but has shown a lot of unique phenomena in oxides and non-oxide reaction systems. We have designed a reaction map for different systems from the viewpoints of free energy change, charge valance, environmental condition, net impact energy of mill device and a like. As for the process, we have developed novel material processes for up-grading natural and artificial resources by using grinding followed by simple chemical and physical operations carried out mostly at room temperature and pressure. The materials are inorganic as well as organic (plastics and resins), and they are ground with an additive to form powder-like material, and conveyed to another chemical/physical operation to extract useful chemical species or generate pure hydrogen gas. These processes are attractive so that lots of attention has been paid from industries. Thus, grinding is a simple unit operation but it has more potential for applying to material processing and engineering than before. This technology will be utilized more and more by referring of this review article.
