special focus : wear protection

47

Grinding elements take the wear

and tear of coal pulverisation

Nathalie Charlier looks

at a new technology for
use in coal pulverisation
which is claimed to be is
the next frontier of material
advancement in severe
duty applications.

or more than 10 years Xwin

technology from Magotteaux has
been applied to numerous vertical
roller mills (VRM) applications
throughout the world in aggregate, cement,
mining and power. For power generation, Xwin
VRM grinding elements have been implemented
on all types of coal pulverisation from brown
coals (lignite) to anthracite and Petcoke.
Xwin is a technology in which granularised
ceramic, with a hardness of 2100
Vickers, is combined with a high
chrome alloy in a unique casting
process. This combination of metal
and ceramic, in a granular form,
creates a metal matrix composite
(MMC) called Xwin. Within the
MMC layer the granularised
ceramic is encapsulated by the
high chrome metal. The result is
an Xwin casting that provides the
extreme hardness of ceramic with the durable
reliability and ductility of a high chrome alloy.
Xwin castings are no more susceptible to
breakage than a solid high chrome casting
whether it be from the subjection of rock or
tramp metal entering the mill or from operational
excursions of the pulverizer. No special handling,
operating or maintenance is required with Xwin
castings. Xwin is a direct replacement to the
existing grinding elements whether it is tires,
rolls, tables or segments. Xwin is applicable for

the grinding elements on all types and styles of

vertical mills such as Alstom/CE, BHEL, B&W
MPS (Pfeiffer), EVT, FWEC MBF, IHI, MHI,
SHMP, Stein or any pendulum style roller mill
such as Williams or Raymond.
The hardness of Xwin grinding elements,
at 2100 Vickers, can be compared with that
of high chrome or hard-faced high chrome
grinding elements at 800950 Vickers. The
resulting product being an Xwin casting that
is much harder and longer
lasting. Additionally, Xwin is not
susceptible to potential cracking
or spalling that is sometimes
encountered with hard-surfaced
grinding elements particularly
those castings that are hardsurfaced more than once.
The aggressiveness of coal is
primarily determined by the silica
content of the ash within the coal.
Silica (Quartz) having a general hardness range
of 17001800 Vickers is much harder than the
high chromium and high chromium hard-faced
materials (800-950 Vickers). However, the Xwin
MMC layer at 2100 Vickers is harder than the
quartz and will not be adversely affected by the
quartz content of the ash as compared with those
grinding elements composed of materials softer
than quartz.
Vertical Roller Mills are commonly referred to
as attrition mills because the material, being fed

Xwin Rolls / Lignite 14 months

Hardsurfaced Roll

Superiority (3x)

Lignite 14 months
(End of Life)

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Fig. 1. Rolls:
Xwin vs high
chrome
hard-surfaced
lignite coal.

48

special focus : wear protection

Xwin - Segments - 24 months

superiority (4x)

High Chrome
Rroll

Hi-Cr Segments 24 months

End of Life

Xwin Superiority (3x)

Xwin Roll
1 year Opera
tion

Fig. 2. Segments: Xwin versus High Chrome Bituminous Coal.

(under pressure) between the grinding elements by means

of centrifugal force imparted by the rotating table or by a
rotating pendular shaft, is being crushed against itself. As
such the primary wear component in the crushing zone is
compression which is a direct force that acts normal to
the grinding face. The VRM also utilises air to dry, classify
and convey the pulverized coal from the pulveriser. The
portions of the grinding elements that are exposed to

Following Two (2) Years of Operation

16 mm tyre wear

Following Three (3) Years of Operation

26 mm tyre wear

Fig. 3. Pendulum style roller mill sub bituminous coal.

the pulverised coal/air mixture from the pulverised coal
being pulled off the bowl are also subjected to abrasion
or erosion. Erosion is a velocity related wear component
in which the force of erosion acts at an acute angle to the
grinding face. The erosion component can be quite severe
to the grinding elements particularly if high amounts of
silica are present. Xwin, being much harder than the
materials being crushed, can resist the components of
wear whether it is in the form of compression or erosion.
Numerous operating experiences have demonstrated
that Xwin grinding elements can extend the lifetime of the
grinding elements by at least 2x for MPS and MBF type
mills, 23x+ for Alstom/CE type pulverisers and 3x for
Pendulum style roller mills. This increase in running life,
extends the maintenance cycles (Time Between Outages),
reduces the frequency for routine maintenance (ie, roll/
ring adjustments) and improves pulveriser availability.
Xwin eliminates the grinding elements as being the weak
link to the maintenance cycle and reduces the operating
and maintenance cost of the pulveriser.
Xwin reduces the wear velocity of the grinding
elements. This reduction of wear velocity directly
correlates to the ability to maintain a consistent grinding
profile. Because the Xwin wear velocity is greatly
reduced, the grinding profile and the grinding efficiency of
the pulveriser is maintained for a much longer duration
allowing optimum pulveriser efficiency and achievement
of acceptable fineness, capacity and assistance in
maintaining furnace performance (ie, maximised
performance coupled with optimum maintenance
cycles). The ability to maintain pulveriser efficiency at
rated capacity correlates to the ability to better maintain
downstream furnace and back-end performance. m
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Xwin superiority (2x)

Fig. 4. Xwin tyre and Xwin Table: Lignite (brown coal).

Nathalie Charlier is with Magotteaux International S A,

Vaux-sous-Chvremont, Belgium. www.magotteaux.com

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