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Crushing - Grinding

This document provides an overview of crushing and grinding operations at Teck Carmen de Andacollo, including: 1) It describes primary crushers, SAG mills, ball mills, and cyclones used in the crushing and grinding circuit. 2) It discusses various size reduction equipment like gyratory crushers, jaw crushers, cone crushers, high pressure grinding rolls, and their operating principles and issues. 3) It analyzes factors that impact SAG mill performance like media size, mill speed, lifter design, power draw, and rock to ball charge ratio.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
1K views118 pages

Crushing - Grinding

This document provides an overview of crushing and grinding operations at Teck Carmen de Andacollo, including: 1) It describes primary crushers, SAG mills, ball mills, and cyclones used in the crushing and grinding circuit. 2) It discusses various size reduction equipment like gyratory crushers, jaw crushers, cone crushers, high pressure grinding rolls, and their operating principles and issues. 3) It analyzes factors that impact SAG mill performance like media size, mill speed, lifter design, power draw, and rock to ball charge ratio.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Teck Carmen de Andacollo

Crushing & Grinding


Overview

9 February 2012

Toni Kojovic
Managing Director, SimSAGe Pty Ltd
Research Associate, JKMRC
Overview
• Primary crushers
• SAG Mills
• Ball Mills
• Cyclones
• Tower and Stirred Mills

How they work and key operating issues


Reciprocating Crushers

Gyratory
Crusher

Mantle
Concave
Breakage in Crusher
• Gap controls degree of fines and oversize in product
• Classification controlled by open (OSS) and closed side
setting (CSS)
• Power related to energy required to break rock
• Most efficient process in practice

Break

Classify

Break

Classify
Reciprocating Crushers

Jaw Crusher

Cone Crusher
High Pressure Rolls
• compression breakage of a particle bed
Pilot HPGR
HPGR Benefits
• How energy efficient are they?
– 15 to 20% over standard SABC
– 5% reduction in Bond Wi
– Less sensitive to variable feed ores
• What type of ore suits it?
– Not well understood, but expect multi-mineral (ie. having
differential hardness)
• What is the future of HPGR vs traditional Mills?
– Precrushing ahead of AG/SAG and/or BM (or IM)
Size Reduction Performance
• Boddington hard ore (A*b ~28)
HPGR Effect on Bond Wi

Harder ores show greater benefit


Effect of HPGR Pressure

Higher pressures increase fines and BWi hardness


High Pressure Rolls
• Wear is one of the main operating issues
• Feed preparation and delivery important
• Most suppliers have tests to forecast wear
• Wear surface types
– welded, chevron, studded and hexadur
Wear Issues

Floating roll

Fixed roll

Wear Profile after 2600 hours (Cerro Verde)

High wear in central zone of roll Wear in cheek plates


Wear Solutions

Stud configuration
Stud material
Need 2 weekly inspections
Energy Comparison
SAG/AG Mills
SAG Grate Discharge
Configurations
OPEN-CIRCUIT (external return of trommel o/s)

< 175 mm

< 12 mm
OPEN-CIRCUIT (internal return of trommel o/s)

< 175 mm

< 12 mm
CLOSED-CIRCUIT (WITH CYCLONES)

< 0.5 mm

66%

33%

< 175 mm
CLOSED-CIRCUIT (WITH RECYCLE CRUSHER)

12mm

< 175 mm

< 12 mm
PRE-CRUSHING (WITH RECYCLE CRUSHER)

< 175 mm

100/30mm
12mm

30mm

< 12 mm
80% < 30 mm
20% > 100mm
Comparison of SAG Feed Types
• 100% secondary and partial pre-crushing
100
ROM 100% SecCr Partial SecCr

80
Cum % Passing

60

40

20

0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Size (mm)
Breakage Mechanisms in Mills
Charge Motion in Tumbling Mill
Shoulder
Region

Drop
Height Attrition
Zone

Bed thickness
Toe Region

Impact Zone
Toe Region
SAG Mill Optimisation
• To maximise throughput in a given mill, these key
questions are important?
– How big is the hammer? - ball/media size
– How fast are you hammering? – speed/frequency
– Where are you hammering? – lifter design
– How much power are you drawing? – rock and ball charge (ratio
and total filling %)
• To control grind size, need to increase rock load in SAG mill
(harder with fine feed)
– Reduce speed and water addition, adjust feeders
Andacollo SAG Mill
• 5½ inch media
• 15-16% ball charge
• Potential to reduce ball size in SAG due to
finer feed (perhaps 50/50 5 and 5.5 inch)
• More balls, higher breakage frequency,
finer product.
Mill Load vs Throughput/Power
• Maximum TPH is not at maximum Power
• Grinding curve of mill performance

Power
Throughput

~ 28-33% ~ 35-45% Mill Load


PSI (<325M, Mill Load %)

0
100

10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
8/4/01 6:09
8/4/01 6:49
8/4/01 7:29
8/4/01 8:09
8/4/01 8:49 2010 PSI
% < 325M
8/4/01 9:29
8/4/01 10:09
8/4/01 10:49
8/4/01 11:29

Mill Load %
8/4/01 12:09
8/4/01 12:49
8/4/01 13:29
8/4/01 14:09
8/4/01 14:49
8/4/01 15:29
8/4/01 16:09
8/4/01 16:49
8/4/01 17:29

8/4/01 18:09
8/4/01 18:49
8/4/01 19:29
8/4/01 20:09
8/4/01 20:49
8/4/01 21:29
8/4/01 22:09
8/4/01 22:49
SAG 3 Througput (swt/h)

8/4/01 23:29
8/5/01 0:09
8/5/01 0:49
8/5/01 1:29
8/5/01 2:09
8/5/01 2:49
8/5/01 3:29
SAG MILL #3 Estimated Total Mill Load %

8/5/01 4:09
PSI 2010 Cyclone OverFlow Fraction #1 %-325

8/5/01 4:49
SAG MILL #3 Conveyor Belt Scale Feed Rate TPH
Effect of Mill Load on Grind

8/5/01 5:29
0
50
100
150
200
250

TPH
SAG Mill Load Sensors
• Many approaches tried, non-contact and contact
• Electronics sensitive to interference, noise, vibration, dust
• Simple system would enhance mill control, help in training
Effect of Lifter Face Angle on
Impact Point
79°

68°
South African - Grid Liners
Cadia Hill - 90° Lifter (circa 1997)
Alumbrera - 65° Lifter
Andacollo - 60° Lifter (HAT Steel)
Ball Increases amount high energy impact
Charge collisions  higher throughput

Decreases amount of abrasion collisions


 coarser product
Rock Decrease drop height and amount of
Charge impact  lower throughput
Effect of
Increases amount of attrition collisions
Key  finer product

Variables Mill Increases amount high energy impact


Speed collisions  higher throughput

Decreases amount of attrition collisions


 coarser product
Effect of Feed Size
• SAG mill with high ball load (10% +) will be
able to treat higher throughputs with a finer
feed. Product size will be coarser.
• Feeds with high percent critical size material
(25-75mm) will reduce performance
• Blasting can affect performance (via more
fines < grate size)
– eg Red Dog, HVC, Cadia, Porgera, KCGM,
Antamina, Andocollo
Effect of Feed Size
• Significantly affects behaviour, most difficult to
predict
• F80 may be a good guide but can be
misleading 100

• Fines control SAG


throughput Cum. % passing

% passing
% passing

10
0.1 1 10 100 1000
Size (mm)
Size Variability Matters
200+ tph 100 tph

SAG#1 SAG#2 SAG#3


Andacollo – 8 Feb 12
Split Example on SAG Mill Feed
100 300

SAG 3 speed
90

250
80

70
Mill Load %, F80 x 10 (inch)

200

60
SAG 3 Throughput
SAG 3 Feed Size

STPH
50 150

40

100
30

20
50

10 Mill Load
%

0 0
0 8 48 2 8 0 8 4 8 2 8 0 8 4 8 2 8 0 8 48 2 8 08 48 28 08 48 28 0 8 48 28 08 4 8 2 8 08 4 8 28 08 48 28 08 4 8 28 0 8 4 8 2 8
6: 6: 7: 8: 8: 9: 10: 10: 11: 12: 12: 13: 14: 14: 15: 16: 16: 17: 18: 18: 19: 20: 20: 21: 22: 22: 23: 0: 0: 1: 2: 2: 3: 4: 4: 5:
02 02 02 02 02 02 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02
/20 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 2 00 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20 /20
2 2 2 2 2 2 / / / / / / / / / / / / 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03
/0 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 /0 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/ 9/
09 09 09 09 09 09 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09/ 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Why Blasting is Important?

… relative costs in a typical milling plant.


Antamina SAG Feed vs TPH
Controlling Size via Blasting - 1
STD design

Modified
Blast
Controlling Size via Blasting - 2

Pre-split blasts to protect walls


Monitoring Feed Size is Possible
Split Accuracy is Good
100.0
Survey
Split
80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0
1000 10000 100000 1000000
Sieve Aperture (µm)
F80 (inch)

0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
6:10
6:55
7:40
8:25
9:10
9:55
10:40

2.82
11:25
12:10
12:55
13:40
14:25
15:10
15:55
16:40
17:25
2.80

18:40
19:25

Date/Time
20:10
20:55
21:40
22:26
23:11
2.92

23:56
0:41
1:26
2:11
2:56
3:41
4:26
5:11
5:56
2.96
Using Split to Control Gyro Gap

Gyra Feed F80


Gyra Feed F80 Shift Ave
Slurry Flow in AG/SAG Mills
Classification of Grates
• Grate aperture controls
size of particles that exit
mill
• Trommel controls size of
particles that transfer to
cyclone/ball mill
• Grate size > trommel size
– eg. 20 vs 13 mm.
Pebble Ports
• Pebble discharge rate depends on pebble
production (ore hardness/size), port size and
location, vol. load in mill
• Aim is to relieve mill of hard ‘critical size’
material (that builds up and limits throughput)
• Sizing of port affects mill throughput and load
on ball mill (hence grind size)
• Pebble crusher gap should be set to maximise
breakage (~ trommel aperture size)
RDM Rubber & Steel Grates
Lihir Grates/Ports
Comments on Rubber Grates
• Rubber grates have square holes, and flex
– sharper classification
– less pegging
– less steel disks in recycle stream (trommel o/size)
– more difficult to tell when they will fail
SAG Trommel
SAG Screen
Effect of Slurry Pooling
• If the mill is unable to effectively discharge
the slurry from the mill, a pool will form at the
toe of the charge.
• Detrimental effects include
– Reduced mill power draw.
– Discharge of coarse material directly
through the mill resulting in coarser
product and increased circulating loads,
and classifier loading.
– Reduction in mill capacity.
How Can You Tell?

No Slurry Pool

Slurry Pool
Simple Test for Slurry Pool
• Controlled crash-stop, with all the feed (ore,
water and slurry) to the mill stopped quickly (<
15sec)
• Watch power and load trends…
5000 300

4000 260
power
Mill Power (kW)

Mill Load (t)


3000 220

load
2000 180

1000 140

0 100
0 10 20 30 40

Time (min)
Ball Mills

MEDIA MOTION
Ball Mill Overflow Discharge
Liner Designs with Less Lift
Effect of Ball Size
Breakage Rate
1” (25 mm) 2” (50 mm)
Ball Size
Decreasing

0.3 mm 1 mm Particle Size


Grinding Power
• Mill power required to achieve target grind size
depends on:
– Throughput, T
– Ore hardness, WI (kWh/t)
– Feed size, F80
– Product size, P80
 1 1 
Power  10  T  WI    
 P F 
 80 80 
• Apply the necessary Efficiency Factors
• Select from Table, the size of Ball Mill to deliver the
required power.
Typical Ball Charge

Feed Trunnion
2.35m Dia

Charge
Maximum 32% v/v
Andacollo Ball Mill Parameters

Ball Mill Dia. Length Power Speed Ball Size


(feet) (feet) (kW) (% Cs) (inch)
1&2 25.0 39.5 12,000 75 100% - 3 inch

The finer the feed, the smaller the balls should be.
Charge regularly to maintain power and string.
Configuration
• Ball Mill/Cyclone circuit is almost always better
for primary grinding.
• Cyclone - Ball Mill circuit is used where the
product is fine and needs to be finished to
target final floatation feed size.
Ball Mill Operation
• Ball mills can operate over a very wide range of
conditions.
• Performance is controlled by interactions between the
mill and cyclones.
•  Factors that limit ball mill performance are:
– feed too coarse
– slurry density too high
– slurry density too low
– poor classifier operation
– balls too small (or too large)
– poor liner design/condition
Ball Increases amount impact and
Charge attrition collisions  finer product at
a given throughput, leads to lower
circulating load
Ball For the same charge, increases
Effect of Size amount of impact collisions, though
at a lower energy  finer product,
Key can decrease or increase circulating
Variables load depending on feed size
Increases amount of attrition
collisions  finer product
% For example, 65 to 75% solids,
Solids increases the time particles spend in
the mill  finer product, leads to
lower circulating load
Importance of Circulating Load
• Optimum circulating load will provide a good
compromise between over grinding and
minimization of coarse particles in the mill
discharge.
• Circulating load and grinding performance of the
cyclone-ball mill circuit can be controlled with
slurry density and proper cyclone operation.
• eg. use larger VF to unload circuit.
Managing Circulating Loads
• As the circulating load increases, the cyclone apex will
become overloaded and the cyclone will ‘rope’. As the
cyclone mode goes from spray to rope, cut size increases
by about 10 times. Hence the circuit unloads very
rapidly.
• This may mean the plugged cyclones and sanded
pipes/launders. If the same rope condition occurs, the
poor recovery will result in the flotation circuits.
• The cost may be as much as a few percent of recovery.
Hence regular walk arounds to inspect the cyclone splits
is critical to minimize these potential losses.
Effect of Overloading
• Power is reasonably constant across a wide
range of flowrates, BUT
• When overloaded, charge swells, charge density
drops and power draw reduces.
• Grinding efficiency reduced, product coarsens,
circulating load increases, residence time lower.
• TPH may need to be cut to sustain stable
operation. Try moving water to feed chute.
‘Best circulating load’
• Best mill volumetric throughput at 2400tph
• Typical operation
– 4200 m3/h cyclone feed rate (per nest)
– 57-60 % solids feed density
– 9-10 psi and 78 % solids U/F
– 37-39% solids O/F
Slurry Density Control
• Slurry density can be used to control grinding
performance.
• As the mill is well mixed, slurry density inside
the mill will be similar to mill discharge density.
• Low density (<75%) reduced grinding efficiency.
• A very high density (80-82%) increases viscosity
and reduces grinding efficiency.
• Manage using dilution water to the feed chute.
Feed Water Control
• When the circulating loads and resulting cyclone
underflow and mill densities are high (80-82%), we
need to increase the dilution water to the feed chute
(and remove from discharge box, 50-100 gpm).
to flotation

FEED CHUTE
WATER
DISCH BOX
WATER
Ball Mill
Classifiers
• Purpose of any crushing and grinding circuit is size
reduction to liberate minerals
• Screens and hydrocyclones are used to ensure
product meets target size for downstream
process.
– Mineral liberation
– Flotation separation
• Poor classification reduces efficiency of
downstream process (ball mill and flotation)
How Do Classifiers Work?
• Hydrocyclones work on principle of
differential hydrodynamic behaviour
– Sensitive to size, shape and density
• Screens are positive sizing devices
– Vibrating or static screens (sieve bends/DSM)
– Trommel screens
– Various aperture designs
Hydrocyclones
BODY
DIAMETER
VORTEX
FINDER

CYLINDER

INLET

CONE
ANGLE

APEX OR
SPIGOT
Monitor Cyclone Operation

Apex capacity and roping related to apex diameter, feed


density and particle size
Operation Examples (viz. Powell)

Lack of access to underflows in a number of new plants!


Useful Checks
• Make sure operation observes following condition:

Q f  0.010  P  D2

where Qf = slurry flow per cyclone (m3/h)


P = pressure drop (kPa)
D = cyclone diameter (cm)
• Use 0.013 for Cavex cyclones
– 30% higher capacity at same pressure and diameter
• Pumping power draw can be estimated using
kW  PQ f / 3600
Example Cyclones
Cyclone Dia O/F U/F VF Pressure
  inch %sol %sol APEX PSI
Scalp 20" 52 80 7½ / 4 4
BM#4 -2010 15" 56 81 4½ / 3¼ 13
BM#4 -2010 15" 52 82 4 / 3¼ 13
BM#1/2 -2006 10" 52 78 2.5 / 2 23
Pb R/G 6" 30 72 1¾ / ⅞ 32
Zn Rgh R/G 6" 33 69 1¼/ ⅞ 29
Zn Ret R/G 6" 35 66 1¼ / ⅞ 42
Lihir 26" 26 75 11 / 5½ 12
Andacollo 33” 38 77 14 / 8 10
Hydrocyclone Optimisation
• Hydrocyclones do not grind, ball mills do
• Purpose of classifier is to remove finished product,
that meets target, efficiently.
• Regulate water addition and number of cyclones to
achieve good pressure, cut point and highest possible
water split.
• Circulating load will depend on mill capacity and
target grind size.
– worn apex can increase load unnecessarily (leads to
inefficient grinding)
Vortex Increases cutpoint and water split to
Finder overflow, reduces pressure 
coarser overflow, lower circ. load
Apex Decreases cutpoint and water split
to overflow  increased amount of
water and solids to underflow,
higher circulating load
Effect of Feed
%solids
Decreases cut-size, increases
pressure and water split to overflow
 finer and lower density overflow,
Key increased circulating load
No. Switch off cyclone at constant total
Variables Cyclones flowrate  increased flowrate and
pressure per cyclone, reduces cut-
size and water to underflow, leading
to increased circulating load
Angle of Inclining larger cyclones to 45° or
Inclination more  increased cut-size and
lower water recovery to underflow
Hydrocyclone Online Sensors
• Useful for training and process control
• Runs when on-line sizers are down
Hydrocyclone Simulator Hydrocyclone Simulator
O/FLOW
Cyclone Configuration: BM#1/2 Krebs DSF10LBB stph 579
Number: 12 % sol. 62.2
Diameter (inch) 10.0 % -325M 62.0
Vortex Finder (inch): 3.0 FEED P80 (m) 84
Spigot (inch): 2.0
Inlet (inches) 4.0 stph 1100
Cylinder Length (inch): 29.0 % sol. 68.0 Pressure (psi) 13.6
Cone Angle (degrees) 20 gpm 3286
% -325M 51.9
Feed (Base Case): P80 (m) 119.7
Flowrate Solids (stph): 1100
% solids: 68 Efficiency Curve (to O/F)
SG solids (cc/g): 3.6 100

80
67.9
Auto (1) or Manual (0)? 0 c
60
U/FLOW
40
Operating Parameters: stph 521
Cut-size d50c (m) 177 20 % sol. 75.8
0.177
Water split to O/Flow, c (%) 67.9 0 % -325M 40.6
0.00 0.01 0.10 1.00 P80 (m) 168
Size (mm)
d50c
Cyclone Operation – Problem 1
• Circulating load is in normal range, but the
classifier overflow density is high, grind size too
coarse for the feed density.

• Explanation: Vortex finders are worn, they


need to be replaced on a regular PM schedule.
Cyclone Operation – Problem 2
• SAG feed is finer than normal to increase mill
throughput, probably due to increased blasting effort in
the pit. SAG mill speed to fast for fine feed size.
Solution:
• Slow down SAG mill to increase the mill load to around
25%, thereby using more of the SAG power to do fine
grinding, not impact. A 3-5% improvement in grind size
could be achieved through the control of SAG load - at
the same throughput. This benefit is worth around 1-2%
in the final grind size to flotation.
Cyclone Operation – Problem 3
• Too many cyclones open or the pressure is too
low. Results in poor water split to overflow or
excessive bypass of fines and water in underflow.
Solution:
• Adjust number of cyclones to improve water split.
• If density is too high increase dilution water to
cyclone feed pumpbox.
Cyclone Operation – Problem 4
• Circulating load is too high. Can cause excessive
wear in pumps and classifiers.
Solution:
• Minimise number of operating cyclones.
• As throughput is increased, coarse particles will
suddenly appear in the discharge. Set the
circulating load target to keep them inside the mill.
• Check that SAG load is high as possible given the
feed ore size and throughput set point.
Screens
Stratification
Transition
Zone Separation by
Feed Repeat Trials

Oversize
Screen
Deck

Undersize

• Flow of material across screen to sort particles


• Need sufficient area to optimize probability of passage.
• Near aperture size particles have difficulty in passing.
Overloading Causes
• screen cloths with lower open area
• damp ore
• blinding
• extra supports for screen deck added to
"fix" overloading.
Vibrating Screens
• May have 1 or 2 decks
– Bottom deck has smaller aperture than one above
• Horizontal or inclined from feed to discharge
• Vibration induced by eccentric counter-weights
– Horizontal and vertical motion required.
Banana Screens
• Stepped deck panels
– Fines are quickly removed at start
– Near size material separated at slower speed towards end
• Used where feed has significant undersize material,
high moisture or clay/mud
Screening Surface
• Most common deck materials are:
– Woven wire – Rubber
– Wedge wire – Grizzly bars
– Polyurethane – Punched steel plate
• Many aperture shapes, but square, rectangle
and round most common
• Rectangular across flow typically used in
AG/SAG trommels and screens.
Efficiency Calculation
• Most common definition is to Undersize:

TPH U / S  %  A in U / S
Eff (%)  100 
TPH F  %  A in F

where A is the nominal aperture size

• Model options include probability, kinetic,


empirical, or capacity.
Efficiency vs Load
• Typical relation, 90% efficiency at 100% load
100

90

Efficiency (%)

0
100%
Screen Load (%)
Relation between Cut-Size and
Aperture
• Based on Efficiency Curve (, C and d50c)
 sharpness of the split
–C water split to undersize
– d50c cut-size, around 70-90% of the
aperture depending on efficiency
A
d50c 
   100   100  
loge e   1     2
  100  K E   100  K E  
where A = aperture, KE =efficiency factor (~93)
Screen Calculations
• Basic capacity (vibrating screens)
– tph per m2 = -0.0054A2+2.53*A
  and C depend on screen loading, size
dist., open area and aperture size (and feed
density if wet)
• Guidelines, efficient screening, 5 to 200mm
 8 to 12
–C 96.0 to 99.9%
Screening Parameters
• Guidelines, inefficient screening, 0.5 to
5mm
 4 to 6
–C 70.0 to 95%
• AG/SAG Trommels (12-20mm)
 10
–C 99.9%
Tower and Stirred Mills
Case for Liberation vs Grind Size

Coarse Medium Fine


(Sec Cyc Overflow,
80% -100µm)
Grinding Action
- ball mill - stirred mill

• Use multi low energy impact and attrition, versus


crushing a bed of rocks
• Tower and stirred mills can run with much smaller balls
than ball mill
• 10-12mm is current sensible limit in tower mill
• Stirred mills can run with media as fine as 1mm
Tower Mill Media Motion

Velocity
Stirrer
tip
Breakage Rate in Tower Mills
• For a given mill depends on ball load (Hb)
and ball size (Db)
• Breakage increases as ball load is increased
(more power draw)
• Breakage increases as ball size is reduced
(more contact area)
Hb
Breakage 
Db
Red Dog Tower Mills
• 10 x MPSI Tower Mills, Model KW 450
• 6 ft. D x 21 ft. L
• 300-335 kW
• Ball Load 35-40 st (~7kW/st balls)
• 12.5mm balls
• 41 rpm
Isa Mills
• Niche in fine and ultra fine grinding duty.
• Single stage, F80<500m, open circuit with
integrated classification.
• High specific energy and inert media options.
• 3MW available, but 10MW soon.
• Wear performance has limited uptake.
Anglo Platinum (2.6MW, VSD)
Red Dog Isa Mills
• 2 x M3000
• 1.25m Dia x 2.5m Long
• 1.2 MW
• 60-70% media charge
• 2-3mm ceramic
• 20 m/s disk tip speed (370 rpm)
Red Dog (1.2MW)
Feed End

Disch End
Pre-Cyclones
IsaMill Grinding Mechanism

Positron Emission Particle


Tracking (PEPT)
Stirred Mill Media
• Slag, sand, screened ore, steel shot or
ceramics
• Can be high cost depending on material
and wear rate
Wear Issues
• 2000 hour inspections
• 3-4 discs replaced each inspection
• Shell liners can be rotated (6000 hours)
• Feed and discharge flanges (10000-15000 hrs)

Ceramic liner Rubber liner


Grinding Performance Example
Benefits at AP
• Improved PGM grade-recovery
• $75 million for 1%
Grind Size vs Energy/Ball Size
Horizontal mill A, F80 54 mm, 1-1.6 mm media
Vertical mill A, F80 70 mm, 6 mm media
Horizontal mill B, F80 47 mm, 0.8-1.6 mm media
100
Nutating, F80 67.4µm, 1.7 mm media
Vertical mill B, F80 100 mm, 8mm media
Vertical mill B, F80 100 mm, 3 mm media
Tower mill, F80 90 mm, 9 mm media
P80 (µm)

10

Finer
1
1 10 100 More energy
Energy consumption (kWh/t)
Other Comminution Technology
• Microwave
– has been demonstrated, Uni of Nottingham
– Can for some ores reduce hardness (needs
metallic minerals)
– Energy intensive
• High Voltage (Sel-Frag, Swiss)
– Demonstarted to produce better liberation of
poly mineral ores (AMSRI)
– Energy intensive
Pre Filtering or Sorting
• How classifying the rock coming into the Mill
will affect operations.
– Avoid energy consumption for below cut-off grade ores
– Avoid disposal of fine material that leaches acids
– Increase resource size as more ore can be sent to mill
• Large particle flotation.
– Early in circuit, following primary grinding or HPGR
– Reject tails that is waste, reducing the amount of
material in final grinding. eg. Jameson Cell
Thank You

Questions ?

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