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Experimental Validation of Breakage Function Independence to Grinding

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Conference Paper · April 2014

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Ziaeddin Pourkarimi
Iran Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC)
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Experimental Validation of Breakage Function Independence to
Grinding Environment
Ziaeddin Pourkarimi *1
1) Mineral Processing Engineer, Iran Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC), Karaj, Iran
2) PhD Candidate of Mineral Processing, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering,
Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnics), Tehran, Iran

Bahram Rezai
Professor of Mineral Processing, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering,
Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnics), Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT:
Grinding kinetics is one of the main methods for designing of mineral processing mills. The
kinetics of grinding process is based onseveral parameters such as breakage function,
selection function, particle residence time (RTD), etc. Among these parameters, the breakage
function is independent parameter from grinding environment. Breakage function (Bij) simply
can be defined as the part of material, finer than size “i”when it have been brokenforthe first
time from size “j”. Independence to grinding environment means, when the parameters of
“Ф” ،“γ” and“β” from “Braodbent and Callcott” model are approximately the same in various
mills such as rod or ball mills.
In this research which has been performed on the samples of Esphordi Phosphate plant in
IMPRC, the breakage function was calculated for the fractions of +850µ to +75µ in the
different rod and ball mills for several times by three methods of “Berube”, “Herbst-
Furestenau”and “Modified Herbst-Furestenau”. Finally it was observed that breakage
function does not depend on the mill types for these fractions. The average amounts of
parameters Ф ،γ andβ for the Esfordi samples were reached to 0.5, 0.8 and 4.9 respectively.
The reliability of the tests was evaluated by software “BFDS”. The results of software
approved the theory.

Keywords: Grinding, kinetics, Modeling, Simulation, Breakage function, Selection

function, Grinding environment, Braodbent and Callcott, Berube, Herbst-Furestenau,
Modified Herbst-Furestenau, BFDS.

INTRODUCTION
Material properties such as grindability, breakage, crushability, mineralogy can easily be
determined by laboratory studies. These parameters are required for modeling and simulation
works.Breakage behavior of materials, which is defined by Breakage Distribution Function,
is important for mathematical modeling of size reduction equipments, because every material
has different breakage characteristics. Different laboratory tests are carried out for the
determination of the breakage characterizationof materials.
Commonly, single particle breakage method is used to determine breakage behavior of
materials which assumes that breakage is not size dependent. As new surfaces formed
material behavior changes so particle size effect should also be introduced into the grinding
model structure [1].

*Corresponding Author (z.pourkarimi@aut.ac.ir)

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 Particle size and ore type are effective on breakage characteristics of most materials.
Particle size effect should be defined in the breakage models make the grinding models more
reliable. Some researchers (Deniz Eksi et al., 2011; Banini, 2000; Vogel & Peukert, 2003,
2004; Shi & Kojovic, 2007) were developed breakage models to determine the particle size
effect on breakage distribution function.
The concept of the breakage distribution function was adopted by a number of workers
(Austin & Klimpel, 1964; Kelsall D.F., Stewart; 1968). It can be defined as the average size
distribution resulting from the fracture of a single particle. Implicit in this definition is that a
number of particles must be broken to obtain the average result. Initially, a number of
methods were used to determine it. Gardener and Austin (1962), originally used radioactive
tracers, while Kelsallet. al. (1968), used mineral tracers. Whiten (1986) assumed what must be
considered an arbitrary mathematical function. Also, back calculation techniques have
become the norm (Klimpel & Austin,1977; Rajamani & Herbst, 1984). Most of the work, and
certainly the earlier work, were carried out with tumbling mills, particularly ball mills. It was
generally considered that the breakage distribution function was relatively insensitive to most
variables (Broadbent &Callcott, 1956; Kelsall D.F. & Stewart, 1971).In particular, it was
commonly found to be independent of the initial particle size; that is, it could be normalized.
In this research which has been performed on the samples of Esphordi Phosphate plant in
IMPRC1, the breakage function was calculated for the fractions of +850µm to +75µm in the
different rod and ball mills for several times by three methods of “Berube”, “Herbst-
Furestenau” and “Modified Herbst-Furestenau” to survey the reliability of the theory.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Samples were supplied from Esfordi PhosphateMine, locatedin Yazd Province of Iran. First
of all screen analysis were executed and d80 of the feed measured equal to 439.9 µm. For
breakage function test it was necessary to prepare single particle size samples in each fraction.
In this project considering the feed size of the ball mill in the plant, size fractions of 850, 600,
425, 300, 212, 150, 106 and 75 microns were applied. Thus in each fraction 350 gr of single
particle size were prepared. The procedure for this project was, the sample was poured into
the laboratorybarreled ball mill and grinded for of 10 minutes. After this period of time the
mill was turned off and materials were damped out and then screened. For more accuracy,
each size fraction was dry sieved within 10 minutes, continuously and steadilyfrom top size to
75 µm. After this stage, overflow material of each size fraction was individually weighed.
Then again all of the materials were ground by the mill and previous stage repeated. This
cycle continued till about 45-50 percent of material, passed the top screen.
Accordingly this experiment was carried out by three various mill, two different laboratory
ball mill and one rod mill.
Based on these databreakage distribution functions were calculated byBFDS (Breakage
Function Distribution Software). BFDS use various models such as Berube, Herbst-
Furestenau, and Modified Herbst-Furestenau and specially could calculate the parameters of
Broadbent & Callcott model. The recent model could be fitted by an expression of the form
of:

B , = Ф(d /d ) + (1 − Ф)(d /d ) (1)

1
Iran Mineral Processing Research Center

2
 where di is the particle size (describing a √2 size fraction), d1 is the initial particle size
(defined as the lower sieve aperture of the size fraction), Ф is the intercept on the
right-hand ordinate of the cumulative plot of B , versus d (Fig. 1), γ is the slope of the lower
section of the cumulative distribution, and β is another size distribution parameter.

Fig.1 The breakage distribution function, illustrating its resolution into two components (Kelly & Spottiswood, 1990)

Sample result of calculating breakage function distribution of Esfordi phosphate ore by BFDS
has been shown in Fig.2. This is the advantage of breakage parameters of fraction 300
microns. As well as it is specified, both matrixes of Breakage and Broadbent & Callcott
parameters could be calculated by this software.

Fig 2.Sample result of calculating breakage function distribution of Esfordi phosphate ore by BFDS, (Yousefi, A.A., 2001)

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RESULTS
In this research two types of laboratory mills were used for executing experiments. According
to mentioned procedure the breakage matrix obtained for each sieve fraction and Breakage
parameters were calculated. In experiments series 1, which were performed by ball mill, the
results of Berube method was approximately average of two other methods. Accordingly in
experiments series 2, using rod mill, showed the results ofModified Herbst-Furestenau could
bemeanof two other methods. Therefore Models No. (2) and (3) were obtained for Broadbent
& Callcott breakage parameters of Esfordi phosphate samples.
. .
B, ( ) = 0.48046975(d /d ) + 0.51953025(d /d ) (2)
. .
B, ( ) = 0.496490375(d /d ) + 0.503509625(d /d ) (3)

Where:
B , ( ): Cumulative Breakage Function (tested by laboratory ball mill)
B , ( ) : Cumulative Breakage Function (tested by laboratory rod mill)
d /d : Ratio of reduced size (Smaller fraction to 1st class)
The related fractional breakage matrix of these two experiments has been shown in Table 1
and 2 respectively. As is clear both matrix are normalized, so it was found to be independent
of the initial particle size.
The average of calculations for all fractions is summarized in Table 3. As it has been shown
in table below the parameters Φ, γ and β obtained very close.

Table 1.Fractional breakage function matrix tested with ball mill

Size (mic) Fractional breakage function
850 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
600 0.56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
425 0.16 0.50 0 0 0 0 0 0
300 0.07 0.17 0.51 0 0 0 0 0
212 0.03 0.07 0.15 0.49 0 0 0 0
150 0.05 0.06 0.11 0.20 0.59 0 0 0
106 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.12 0.55 0 0
75 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.07 0.15 0.53 0

Table 2.Fractional breakage function matrix tested with rod mill

Size (mic) Fractional breakage function
850 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
600 0.51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
425 0.18 0.49 0 0 0 0 0 0
300 0.08 0.19 0.47 0 0 0 0 0
212 0.05 0.08 0.18 0.51 0 0 0 0
150 0.03 0.06 0.10 0.18 0.53 0 0 0
106 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.16 0.52 0 0
75 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.06 0.09 0.18 0.52 0

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 Table3.Average calculated breakage parametersof Broadbent & Callcott model

Parameter
Equip. Φ γ β
Method
Berube 0.76 4.98 0.48
Herbst-Furestenau 0.77 5.29 0.48
Ball Mill Modified Herbst-Furestenau 0.65 4.29 0.46
Berube
Selected Method (mean)
0.48 0.76 4.98
Berube 0.54 0.74 5.09
Herbst-Furestenau 0.49 0.84 5.80
Rod Mill Modified Herbst-Furestenau 0.50 0.80 4.55
Modified Herbst-Furestenau
Selected Method (mean)
0.50 0.80 4.55

1
Cumulative Percent Passing (Bij)

0.1
Ball Mill
Rod Mill

0.01
0.01 0.1 1
Xi/X1

Fig 3.The breakage distribution function of Esfordi phosphate samples in various mills

Based on these models the breakage distribution function of Esfordi phosphate samples in two
different mills has been compared in Fig 3.As it was expected, the ratio of Bij to size reduction
in experiments series 1 and 2 are the same and the curve illustrates a proper fitting on points.
The laboratory selection function was measured for the fractions of 850 to 75 microns by
BFDS software, which its amounts was obtained 0.0237, 0.0183, 0.0132, 0.0092, 0.0084,
0.0049, 0.0027 and 0.0019, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
In this research, during evaluation the performance conditions of ball mill in Esfordi
phosphate grinding circuit the breakage functions of the ball mill feed and the influence of
various grinding mills on this function were determined. Hence after preparing the required
sample from the ball mill feed, using two different kind of tumbling mill, the breakage
function was calculated according to three methods of Berube, Herbst-Furestenau and
modified Herbst-Furestenau, by BFDS software.

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 The laboratory selection function was measured for the fractions of 850 to 75 microns by
BFDS software, which its amounts was obtained 0.0237, 0.0183, 0.0132, 0.0092, 0.0084,
0.0049, 0.0027 and 0.0019, respectively.
Due to calculations two models were extracted, which their results were really the same as
well.
Comparison of breakage distribution function of Esfordi phosphate samples in two
different mills based on these two models, Asit was expected, the ratio of Bij to size reduction
in experiments series 1 and 2 are the same and the curve illustrates a proper fitting on points,
that could validate the theory of independence of breakage function to grinding environment,
versus selection function which is completely depends on the grinding environment. The
related fractional breakage matrix of these two experiments is normalized, so it was found to
be independent of the initial particle size.
Considering the various mechanisms of breakage in rod and ball mills the above results
could become more important, and shows that breakage function which is the main
parameters of designing mills based on kinetics is aninherent parameter of ore.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by Iran Mineral Processing Research Center (IMPRC).
Therefore authors would like to appreciate for all their helps and efforts conducted in this
project.

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 Wills, B.A., 2006, Mineral Processing Technology, 7th edition.
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