Estimation of the wear rate associated with ball mill of mahd ad dahab gold mine, Saudi Arabia (KSA)

G.S. Abdelhaffez^1,2

¹University of Assiut, Assiut, Egypt

²King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Min. miner. depos. 2018, 12(3):36-44

https://doi.org/10.15407/mining12.03.036

Full text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Purpose. This study aims to estimate the wear of the middle chrome grinding balls in both dry and wet grinding media. The selected ball mill for this study is located at Mahd Ad Dahab Gold Mine, Saudi Arabia.

Methods. The amount of wear is determined based on the decrease in the balls weight with respect to grinding time.

Findings. The results show that, the loss in the balls weight is proportionally related to their diameters. Also, the amount of wear is reduced by almost 12% when using wet grinding than dry medium.

Originality. This study provides a methodology to evaluate the performance efficiency of grinding operation as a function of the amount of wear results in the grinding medium.

Practical implications. Grinding is an intrinsic step in almost all mineral processing. Such step is very expensive; but, it is essentially required to reduce the size of the run-of-mine (ROM) material, to liberate valuable minerals from the ore matrix and to increase the surface area for higher reactivity. Thus, this study sheds light on the cost of wear rate associated with ball mill at Mahd Ad Dahab Gold Mine, Saudi Arabia, and its significant impact on the efficiency of grinding operation.

Keywords: grinding process, wet and dry grinding media, wear, ball mill, Mahd Ad Dahab Mine

REFERENCES

Abdelhaffez, G. (2005). Assessment of energy efficiency in grin-ding process. PhD Thesis. Assiut, Egypt: Assiut University.

Ajaal, T., Smith, R.W., & Yen, W.T. (2002). The development and characterization of a ball mill for mechanical alloying. Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, 41(1), 7-14.
https://doi.org/10.1179/cmq.2002.41.1.7

Azizi, A. (2015). Investigating the controllable factors influencing the weight loss of grinding ball using SEM/EDX analysis and RSM model. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, 18(2), 278-285.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jestch.2014.12.007

Chen je, W.T. (2007). Development and validation of a model for steel grinding media wear in tumbling mills. PhD Thesis. Montreal, Canada: McGill University.

Djordjevic, N. (2010). Improvement of energy efficiency of rock comminution through reduction of thermal losses. Minerals Engineering, 23(15), 1237-1244.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2010.08.019

Dodd, J., Dunn, D.J., Huiatt, J.L., & Norman, T.E. (1985). Relative importance of abrasion and corrosion in metal loss in ball milling. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, 2(4), 212-216.

Fuerstenau, D.W., Lutch, J.J., & De, A. (1999). The effect of ball size on the energy efficiency of hybrid high-pressure roll mill/ball mill grinding. Powder Technology, 105(1-3), 199-204.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-5910(99)00138-2

Fuerstenau, D., & Abouzeid, A.-Z. (2002). The energy efficiency of ball milling in comminution. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 67(1-4), 161-185.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0301-7516(02)00039-x

Gangopadhyay, A.K., & Moore, J.J. (1985a). Assessment of wear mechanisms in grinding media. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, 2(3), 145-151.

Gangopadhyay, A.K., & Moore, J.J. (1985b). The role of abrasion and corrosion in grinding media wear. Wear, 104(1), 49-64.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1648(85)90245-5

Gangopadhyay, A.K., & Moore, J.J. (1987). Effect of impact on the grinding media and mill liner in a large semiautogenous mill. Wear, 114(2), 249-260.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1648(87)90091-3

Härkisaari, P. (2015). Wear and friction effects on energy consumption in the mining industry. MSc Thesis. Tampere, Finland: Tampere University of Technology.

Howat, D.D., & Vermeulen, L.A. (1988). Fineness of grind and the consumption and wear rates of metallic grinding media in tumbling mills. Powder Technology, 55(4), 231-240.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-5910(88)80033-0

Jankovic, A., Wills, T., & Dikmen, S. (2016). A comparison of wear rates of ball mill grinding media. Journal of Mining and Metallurgy A: Mining, 52(1), 1-10.
https://doi.org/10.5937/jmma1601001j

Kapakyulu, E. (2007). Development of a model for temperature in a grinding mill. MSc Thesis. Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand.

Lameck, N.S. (2005). Effects of grinding media shapes on ball mill performance. MSc Thesis. Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand.

Lucy, L. (2016). The development and demonstration of a practical methodology for fine particle shape characterisation in minerals processing. PhD Thesis. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town.

Massola, C.P., Chaves, A.P., & Albertin, E. (2016). A discussion on the measurement of grinding media wear. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 5(3), 282-288.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2015.12.003

Meulendyke, M.J., & Purdue, J.D. (1989). Wear of grinding media in the mineral processing industry: an overview. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, 6(4), 67-172.

Misra, A., & Finnie, I. (1980). A classification of three-body abrasive wear and design of a new tester. Wear, 60(1), 111-121.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1648(80)90252-5

Mishra, B.K., & Rajamani, R.K. (1994). Simulation of charge motion in ball mills. Part 1: experimental verifications. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 40(3-4), 171-186.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-7516(94)90042-6

Moema, J.S., Papo, M.J., Slabbert, G.A., & Zimba, J. (2009). Grinding media quality assurance for the comminution of gold ores. In World Gold Conference 2009 (pp. 27-34). Johannesburg, South Africa: The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Moore, J.J., Perez, R., Gangopadhyay, A., & Eggert, J.F. (1988). Factors affecting wear in tumbling mills: influence of composition and microstructure. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 22(1-4), 313-343.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-7516(88)90071-3

Pitt, C.H., Chang, Y.M., Wadsworth, M.E., & Kotlyar, D. (1988). Laboratory abrasion and electrochemical test methods as a means of determining mechanism and rates of corrosion and wear in ball mills. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 22(1-4), 361-380.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-7516(88)90073-7

Radziszewski, P. (2002). Exploring total media wear. Minerals Engineering, 15(12), 1073-1087.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00228-5

Radziszewski, P. (2000). Developing an experimental procedure for charge media wear prediction. Minerals Enginee-ring, 13(8-9), 949-961.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00080-7

Rajagopal, V., & Iwasaki, I. (1992). The properties and performance of cast iron grinding media. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 11(1-2), 75-106.
https://doi.org/10.1080/08827509208914215

Rizk, A. (1989). Study of the most important operating parameters affecting the performance of reverse closed circuit grinding. PhD Thesis. Gliwice, Poland: Silesian Technical University.

Stamboliadis, E.T. (2002). A contribution to the relationship of energy and particle size in the comminution of brittle particulate materials. Minerals Engineering, 15(10), 707-713.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00185-1

Tolfree, D. (2004). Investigation of the gouging abrasion resistance of materials in the mining industry. MSc Thesis. Vancouver, Canada: University of British Columbia.

Tolley, W.K., Nichols, I.L., & Huiatt, J.L. (1984). Corrosion rates of grinding media in mill water. Washington, United States: Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations 8882.

U.S. DOE. (2007). Mining industry energy bandwidth study. Washington, United States: U.S. Department of Energy.

Vermeulen, L.A., Howat, D.D., & Gough, C.L.M. (1983). Theories of ball wear and the results of a marked-ball test in ball milling. Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 189-197.

Vermeulen, L.A., & Howat, D.D. (1986a). Abrasive and impactive wear of grinding balls in rotary mills. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 86(4), 113-124.

Vermeulen, L.A., & Howat, D.D. (1986b). The performance and wear characteristics of grinding media as affected by metallurgical and dimensional factors. Mintek Report M243. Randburg, South Africa: Mintek.

Wang, C. (2013). Comparison of HPGR-ball mill and HPGR-stirred mill circuits to the existing AG/SAG mill-ball mill circuits. MSc Thesis. Vancouver, Canada: University of British Columbia.

Weiss, N.L. (1985). SME Mineral Processing Handbook. New York, United States: Society of Mining Engineers of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers.

Wills, B.A., & Napier-Munn, T. (2006). Wills’ mineral processing technology: an introduction to the practical aspects of ore treatment and mineral recovery. Massachusetts, United States: Elsevier Science & Technology Books.

Yelloji Rao, M.K., & Nararajan, K.A. (1991). Factors influen-cing ball wear and flotation with respect to ore grinding. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 7(3-4), 137-173.
https://doi.org/10.1080/08827509108952670