IsaMill

Abstract: Particle size reduction is a critical unit process in many industries including mineral processing, cement, food processing, pigments and industrial minerals and pharmaceuticals. The aim is to take large feed material and as efficiently as possible reduce the size of the particles to a target size range. Over time, a very large range of equipment has been developed to perform this for many materials and in many different conditions. Discrete element method (DEM) modelling is a computational tool that can allow detailed exploration of the particle flow and breakage processes within comminution equipment and can assist in developing a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the detailed processes occurring within. In this paper, we examine the particle and energy flows in representative examples of the equipment used in many grinding processes. We study a 36′ semi-autogenous mill used in primary grinding for mineral processing, a ball mill used for cement clinker grinding, a grinding table also used for cement grinding, a tower mill used for fine grinding both in mineral processing and for industrial minerals and finally for an Isamill, which is used for ultra-fine grinding in mineral processing. Copyright

Abstract: Fine grinding, to P80 sizes as low as 7 μm, is becoming increasingly important as mines treat ores with smaller liberation sizes. This grinding is typically done using stirred mills such as the Isamill or Stirred Media Detritor. While fine grinding consumes less energy than primary grinding, it can still account for a substantial part of a mill’s energy budget. Overall energy use and media use are strongly related to stress intensity, as well as to media size and quality. Optimization of grinding media size and quality, as well as of other operational factors, can reduce energy use by a factor of two or more. The stirred mills used to perform fine grinding have additional process benefits, such as polishing the mineral surface, which can enhance recovery.