HOME

MEDIA TYPE EFFECT ON GRINDING EFFICIENCY

L Guzmn1 and D Garca2
ABSTRACT
The consumption of energy in the grinding process is signicant in both the amount used and the cost involved. Both imply that it is important to maximise the throughput for a given grinding task; which in turn implies it is important to maximise mill power draw, which is related to the efciency whereupon this power is used. In order to optimise the process it is rst necessary to know the effects of the operative parameters on the ore grindability because it is the grinding efciency that is to be evaluated; that is to say, the efcient use of the energy from the metallurgical point of view in conventional ball grinding, recognising that such concepts and criteria also apply to other types of applications such as semiautogenous grinding (SAG) and vertical mills. It was demonstrated that it is possible to optimise the grinding process by means of the correct selection of grinding media that allows maximising the effectiveness (power draw) and the power efciency of the process (correct use). For example, simulations demonstrate that using forged steel grinding balls (high density) [compared to cast steel (lower density) balls and to high chromium white cast iron (lowest density) balls] increases throughput by 2.2 - 4.4 per cent and reduces the specic energy consumption by 2 - 3 per cent (at constant feed size and product size). Keynotes: grinding media, process simulation, balls density, energy efciency

INTRODUCTION
It has been estimated that the amount of energy used in the comminution process is equivalent to 3 per cent of the world-wide energy as Pease (2007) estimated and is the reason optimisation of energy consumption in the comminution process has been and still is one of the main objectives of various researchers and operators. At the moment the conventional grinding technologies of SAG and Ball Mills, are power inefcient. They use from 3 - 5 per cent, as Fuerstenau (2003) showed, of the total of the energy consumed to grind only. Recently some researchers indicate that the maximum grinding efciency is limited to about 20 per cent as Arentzen and Bhappu (2008) indicated. On the other hand, it can be argued that the grinding efciency is much more important than the grinding media cost, since the benets of obtaining a greater capacity of treatment are several times greater than the magnitude of the grinding media cost. It is in this sense the effects of grinding media density and optimal ball size play a major role in the optimisation of the grinding stage. Other authors benchmark the power efciency according to the conguration of the circuit; nevertheless there is not sufcient evidence to demonstrate statistically that a given circuit design is consistently superior from the point of view of energy efciency as Morrell (2009) demonstrated. In addition, the belief exists that the classic Inverse conguration is intrinsically more productive than the alternative Direct conguration, this under the context of the so-called Fourth Law of the Grinding/Classication, which afrms that to obtain an efciency of optimal energy in the grinding total process, the content of ne particles in the mill charge must be as low as it is possible for a given grinding task. Practically speaking, the Inverse conguration will only be advantageous when the ow of fresh feed contains more than 30 per cent of ore particles ner than the specied objective P80 size for the operation as Seplveda (2008b) found. There is a potential to increase the apparent efciency of the energy use by signicantly increasing the circulating load and increasing the throughput (depending on each particular application). With
1. Senior Applications Engineer, Moly-Cop Adesur S A, 110 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Anita, Lima, Peru. Email: lguzman@adesur.com.pe 2. Senior Applications Engineer, Moly-Cop Adesur S A, 131 Jacinto Ibanez Street, Parque Industrial, Arequipa, Peru. Emails: dgarcia@adesur.com.pe

XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3207

L GUZMN AND D GARCA

FIG 1 - Product Energy Size Relation (Siddique, 1977).

a high circulating load, the balls in the mill act preferably on heavier particles that still need to be fractured, avoiding at the same time the overgrinding of the nest particles as Seplveda (2008a) showed. There is also a similar maximum potential from improving the classication efciency as Morrell (2008) found. The present work proposes to determine the effects and relationships among energy grindability grinding media type in the grinding optimisation stage.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Energy specific consumption

From the rst studies on comminution of ores in the middle of the last century, it has been recognised that a major role is played by energy specic consumption in determining the parameters of the process results. In other words, the amount of mechanical energy applied to each unit mass of particles to a great extent determines the neness of resulting fragments. That is to say, the energy specic consumption is not more than the net consumption of energy (kWh) by each t of processed fresh feed. As an illustration, note the experimental information shown in Figure 1, as Siddique (1977) found, which was obtained using batch tests of dry grinding with mills of 10, 15 and 30 inches of diameter. From these results, Figure 1 demonstrates the clear relationship that exists between the energy specic consumption and the resulting product neness in each test.

Bonds law
Bond (1952) postulated an empirical law that has been termed the third law of the comminution, which is denoted by the following expression:
E 1 1 0Wi W F 80 P 80 (1)

where: Wi = ore work index or Bond work index and depends as much on the material as on the equipment used for each specic application. Wi consequently represents the specic consumption required to fracture very heavy particles, P80 = 100 microns. E = Energy specic consumption, kWh/t F80 = Size passing 80 per cent in feeding (microns) P80 = Size passing 80 per cent in product (microns) Wi = Bond work index, kWh/t The Figure 2 shows the importance of the energy specic consumption as the determining parameter of the comminution process. In the previous equation, the parameters F80 and P80 represent the dened grinding task; that is to say, the objective is to transform particles of characteristic size F80
XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3208

MEDIA TYPE EFFECT ON GRINDING EFFICIENCY

10 Wi = 80

Sp

Dry Batch Grinding Ore : Calcite Size : 100 % - 10 #

0. 0 .0 0 50 50
200 20 2 00 0 0 250 25 2 50 5 0 300 3 30 00 0 0

[ 1/ [1 /( (
FIG 2 - Bonds Law (Siddique, 1977).

10 1 0

into particles of size smaller than P80. The Bond Index allow one then, by means of Equation 2 shown below, to determine the energy (kWh) required to grind each unit (t) of ore. This energy specic consumption is also determined by the relationship:
E= P M (2)

where: E = Energy specic consumption, kWh/t P = Mill net power draw, kW M = Mill throughput, t/h

Net power draw

It is obvious from equation 2 that any increase in P has to be translated in a benecial increase in M, improving therefore the mill operational effectiveness. Recognising this critical role of the mill power, it is of interest to have a suitable correlation with the mill dimensions and basic conditions of operation, such as the proposal by Hogg and Fuerstenau (1972).
P L 0 238 D 3 5 N C D
AP

(f

Si S Sin

(3)

where: D = Effective grinding diameter, feet L = Effective grinding length, feet Nc = Rotational mill speed; expressed as a fraction ap = Apparent density of the charge, t/m3 f = Apparent lling level (with interstitial voids) = charge lifting angle which denes the dynamic positioning of the centre of gravity of the mill load (the kidney) with respect to the vertical direction, typically with values in the range of 35 to 45. This correlation, derived from simple theoretical observations, has been demonstrated to be satisfactorily precise for all the practical effects and in particular for the present analysis (Figure 3). Figure 3 shows the variation of the power based on the lling level; it can be appreciated that the maximum levels of power are obtained at ~47 per cent of lling. Nevertheless, in practice lling levels of 35 to 40 per cent are maintained since greater increases of charge level do not benet the treatment capacity.

Apparent density of the charge

Referring again to the equation of Hogg and Fuerstenau (Equation 3), it is important to note that apparent charge density (ap) is included (among the other variables that affect the power). It is the
XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3209

L GUZMN AND D GARCA

FIG 3 - Effect of the filling level on the power.

ratio of the gross weight of the charge and the volume that is being occupied by the charge and which is represented by the following expression as Seplveda (2008a) showed:
f J + ap =

f m J

(J J )
b

p J p f J

(4)

where: ap = Apparent density of the charge, t/m3 fv = Volumetric fraction (/1) of interstitial voids between balls and rocks (typically 40 per cent of apparent volume occupied by the charge). b = Balls density, t/m3 Jb = Apparent lling with balls J = Total apparent lling, /1 Jp = Interstitial slurry ling m = Ore density, t/m3 p = Slurry density, t/m3 In the special case of the Conventional Ball Mills, J = Jb and the Apparent charge density is calculated as: ap = b[(1 f) + pJp f]
(5)

Specific ball charge surface area for optimal grinding

Other studies (Muranda, 1990; Guzmn 2001) have demonstrated that the optimal ball size plays a fundamental role on the specic selection function (SiE) also referred to as the breakage function. Determining the optimal ball size results in the optimum surface area for optimal grinding (m2/m3) based on the feed size distribution and desired product size. (See Figures 4 and 5) In Figure 4 it is important to note that depending on feed size (particle size, microns), there exists an optimal string size of grinding media (speciccaly for the ball mills) that maximises the ore grindability (specic selection function SiE, ton/kWh) and then obtain the lower product size (P80). Figure 5 shows that for each application (feed size F80, microns) there exists an optimal specic grinding media surface area that maximises the throughput.

Grinding media density

Recognising the importance of the apparent charge density, it is important to determine the grinding media density using an effective methodology since, depending on the grinding ball composition and on the process of manufacture of the balls, not all balls attain the maximum theoretical density of steel of ~7.80 g/cm3 that is typical of forged steel balls. Using the Principle of Archimedes and with the aid of the spreadsheet Media Charge_Ball Size & Density of Moly-Cop Tools (Moly-Cop Tools,
XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3210

MEDIA TYPE EFFECT ON GRINDING EFFICIENCY

FIG 4 - Ball size effect on the ore grindability.

FIG 5 - Effect of the specific ball charge surface area on the grinding task.

version 2.0) as Seplveda (2005) showed it is possible to calculate the true density of a given sample. (See Table 1). It is evident from Table 1 that forged grinding media have from 1.5 per cent to 3.8 per cent higher density than other medias. According to Equation 3 this would result to a greater power draw and therefore a greater throughput. In addition, the cast ball densities exhibit a higher standard deviation (0.0210) in comparison to the forged balls (0.0108) - this difference is inherent to the manufacturing process. Figure 6 shows the effect of the media type on the ore grindability (specic selection function).
TABLE 1 Example of the grinding media density (g/cm3). Cast White Iron 10 - 12% Cr 7.562 7.560 7.580 7.603 7.593 Cast White Iron 18 - 20% Cr 7.536 7.551 7.558 7.565 7.502 7.512 7.490 Cast White Iron 30 - 33% Cr 7.552 7.555 7.531 7.512 7.511

Diameter 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

Forged Steel 7.813 7.805 7.802 7.812 7.794 7.804 7.749

Cast Steel 7.691 7.680 7.657 7.647

XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3211

L GUZMN AND D GARCA

Media T ype E ffec t on G rindability

10. 00
F orged 10-12% C r 18-20% C r

nction (S iE )

1. 00

30-33% C r

Se

0. 10

0. 01
10 100
P art

0
(mic rons )

10000

100000

FIG 6 - Effect of the media type on the grindability.

STUDY CASE
On the basis of the previously raised considerations, simulations were carried out using an Inverse circuit of primary grinding (Figure 7), concentrating on the effect of the grinding media density on the power draw and its relation with the plant throughput, for which extensive use was made of the Ballsim simulator of software Moly-Cop Tools version 2.0. Using the densities experimentally determined for different grinding media and using the spreadsheet Mill power in Moly-Cop Tools, version 2.0, that includes the model of Hogg and Fuerstenau, the power draw for the case in study was calculated and exhibits variations in power from 11152 kW to 11531 kW, depending on the grinding media type. (See Table 2 and Figure 8). If we take as the basis the variations of power generated by each of the grinding media types and make additional simulations with respect to product size, we can obtain the results shown in Table 3.
Moly-Cop Tools
TM

S imulation N

R emarks

S imulacion de C alibracion 0 38.00 % S olids 52.49 % - S ize 18 151.4 P 80

5.00 ps i

B pf B pw

0.270 0.316

8 # of C yclones 14.00 V ortex 5.43 Apex 79.00 % S olids

ton/hr F 80

1100.0 3677

W ater, 3 m /hr

155.9 W ater, m /hr 463.8 G ros s kW % B alls % C ritical % S olids 11336.5 33.00 75.00 76.00

C irc. Load 3 m /hr % S olids

283.78 4187 61.66

kW h/to / n W io

10.31 15.91

FIG 7 - Inverse circuit of primary grinding.

XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3212

MEDIA TYPE EFFECT ON GRINDING EFFICIENCY

TABLE 2 Determinations of power draw. Grinding Media Forged Steel Cast Steel Cast White Iron 10 - 12% Cr Cast White Iron 18 - 20% Cr Cast White Iron 30 - 33% Cr
12000 11900 11800 P ower (K w) 11700 11600 11500 11400 11300 11200 11100 11000 Forged Cas t HCr 12% HCr 18% HCr 32%

Density (g/cm3) 7.794 7.647 7.593 7.502 7.511

Density Difference (%) 0.00% 1.92% 2.65% 3.89% 3.77%

Gross Power (kW) 11531 11334 11268 11152 11164

Power Difference (%) 0.00% -1.71% -2.28% -3.29% -3.18%

7. 4

7. 5

7. 6

7. 7

7. 8

7. 9

De ns ity (gr /cm / 3)

FIG 8 - Variation of power based on the grinding media density.

In results shown in Table 3, the product neness is found to vary with media density, with the higher density forged steel grinding balls producing a ner size product, and the lower density cast products (both steel and white irons) producing coarser products.
TABLE 3 Simulations product size. Grinding Media Forged Steel t/h F80 (microns) P80 (microns) Energy Consumption (kWh/t) WIO (kWh/t) Reduction Ratio Circulating Load (%) 1100 3677 148.3 10.48 15.97 2.53 278 Cast Steel 1100 3677 151 10.31 15.91 2.46 284 Cast White Iron 10 - 12% Cr 1100 3677 152.6 10.24 15.89 2.43 286 Cast White Iron 18 - 20% Cr 1100 3677 154.7 10.14 15.86 2.39 289 Cast White Iron 30 - 33% Cr 1100 3677 154.4 10.15 15.87 2.39 289

When the feed size and the product size (P80) were held constant, the mill throughput varies in its relationship to grinding media. The resultant throughputs are shown in Table 4. In Table 4 it is evident that the higher density forged grinding media processed 1125 t/h which is equivalent to 2.2 per cent greater throughput than the cast steel grinding media, and 4.4 per cent greater throughput than the cast high Cr white iron grinding media of lower density. In addition, the specic energy consumption (kWh/t) for the forged steel was reduced by 0.5 - 0.8 per cent, indicative of a more efcient process.
XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3213

L GUZMN AND D GARCA

TABLE 4 Simulations throughput. Grinding Media Forged Steel t/h F80 (microns) P80 (microns) Energy Consumption (kWh/t) WIO (kWh/t) Reduction Ratio Circulating Load (%) 1125 3677 151 10.26 15.83 2.43 287 Cast Steel 1100 3677 151 10.31 15.91 2.46 284 Cast White Iron 10 - 12% Cr 1090 3677 151 10.34 15.94 2.47 282 Cast White Iron 18 - 20% Cr 1076 3677 151 10.36 15.98 2.49 280 Cast White Iron 30 - 33% Cr 1078 3677 151 10.36 15.98 2.49 280

Finally, knowing that the grinding media affect the ore grindability (specic selection function used in simulation), we made simulations relating both the effect of power and the ore grindability, obtaining the following (See Table 5).
TABLE 5 Simulations grindability and power effects. Forged Steel t/h F80 (microns) P80 (microns) Energy Consumption (kWh/t) WIO (kWh/t) Reduction Ratio Circulating Load (%) 1142 3677 151 10.1 15.57 2.4 289 Cast Steel 1100 3677 151 10.31 15.91 2.46 284 Grinding Media Cast White Iron 10 - 12% Cr 1078 3677 151 10.45 16.12 2.69 285 Cast White Iron 18 - 20% Cr 1060 3677 151 10.41 16.06 2.87 284 Cast White Iron 30 - 33% Cr 1070 3677 151 10.42 16.07 2.73 284

In Table 5 the effects of the grinding media density on the power draw and the ore grindability are shown. The forged grinding media get up to 1142 t/h, which is equivalent to 3.7 per cent greater throughput in comparison to the cast steel grinding media and up to 7.2 per cent in comparison to the high chromium white cast iron grinding media of lower density. That is to say, using the higher density forged steel balls reduced the energy specic consumption between 2 - 3 per cent, which indicates a signicant improvement in the grinding process.

CONCLUSIONS
It was demonstrated that it is possible to optimise the grinding process by means of the correct selection of grinding media that allows maximising the effectiveness (power draw) and the power efciency of the process (correct use). For example, simulations demonstrate that using forged steel grinding balls (high density) [compared to cast steel (lower density) balls and to high chromium white cast iron (lowest density) balls] increases throughput by 2.2 - 4.4 per cent and reduces the specic energy consumption by 2 - 3 per cent (at constant feed size and product size). To accomplish this it is necessary to consider changes in the measurement procedure and evaluation of the grinding process not only considering terms of throughput, energy and steel consumption, but also including the analysis of the ore grindability which is a powerful tool of process optimisation.

XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3214

MEDIA TYPE EFFECT ON GRINDING EFFICIENCY

REFERENCES
Arentzen, C and Bhappu, R, 2008. High efciency ball mill grinding, Engineering and Mining Journal, Apr:62 - 68. Bond, F, 1952. The third theory of comminution, AIME Trans., 193:484. Fuerstenau, M, 2003. Principles of ore processing, pp 95 (SME). Guzmn, L, 2001. Methodology of the torque mill with optimizing aims, thesis, University of San Agustn, Arequipa. Hogg, R and Fuerstenau, D, 1972. Power relationship for tumbling mill, Trans SME-AIME, vol. 252:418 - 423. Morrell, S, 2008. A method for predicting the specic energy requirement of comminution circuits and assessing their energy utilisation efciency, Miner. Eng. (21), 224 - 233. Morrell, S, 2009. Predicting the overall specic energy requirement of crushing, high pressure grinding roll and tumbling mill circuits, Miner. Eng., 1 - 6. Muranda, R, 1990. Methodology to determine optimal sizes of ball, thesis. University of Atacama, Copiap. Pease, J, 2007. Increasing the energy efciency of processing, in Proceedings Crushing and Grinding 2007 - Sept 2007, pp 1 - 28 (Brisbane). Seplveda, J, 2005. Moly-Cop Tools version 2.0, Software for the assessment and optimization of grinding circuit performance. Personal communication, 1 July. Seplveda, J, 2008a. The fourth law 25 years later. Mineralurgia 2008, pp 1 - 46, (Tecsup: Lima). Seplveda, J, 2008b. Direct vs. reverse grinding circuit congurations: a quantitative assessment of their relative operational performance. Procemin 2008, pp 55 - 60, (Gecamin: Santiago). Siddique, M, 1977. A kinetic approach to ball mill scale-up for dry and wet systems. MS thesis, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

XXV INTERNATIONAL MINERAL PROCESSING CONGRESS (IMPC) 2010 PROCEEDINGS / BRISBANE, QLD, AUSTRALIA / 6 - 10 SEPTEMBER 2010

3215