Ball Mill Optmization

Slegten grinding course 1

 Ball mill equipments

CPT 1 : CPT 2 :
liners liners

Ventilation

DIAPHRAGMS :
Slot dimensions
Centre type
Compartment lengths
Grinding ball charges
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 Reduction Methods

Depending on the size and the hardness of

the particles to be ground, the grinding
action is made, either by :

ª splitting up by impacts, during the

dropping down of the grinding balls,

ª crushing under the pressure of the

grinding ball charge for the particles which
penetrate inside the charge,

ª or by shearing for the particles squeezed

in between balls sliding on each other.

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Reduction Methods

Splitting up
by impact

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Reduction Methods

Nipping angle
and particle size

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Reduction Methods

Shearing effect
on the grain

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 Reduction Methods

0 – 30 mm <5%R2.5 mm 10%>45 µ
Reduction
by impacts
by pressure
by macroscopic shearing

= CRUSHING
Reduction
by microscopic shearing
between balls and/or autogeneous

= ATTRITION.
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 Reduction Methods

Crushing zone (= Cpt1)

From a 30 mm size down to 5 % Residue on 2.5 mm

- Lifting liner
- Balls from 90 to 60 mm.
- Absorbed power: 10 kW/t

Attrition zone (= Cpt2)

- Liners must allow the grinding balls to roll down (cascading

effect)
- Ball diameter adapted to particle size (lifting liner)
- Maximal ball surface

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 Reduction Methods

To have the grains correctly

sheared by attrition,
material should be prepared
up to a fineness of :
maximum 5% R on 2.5 mm

To maximise the attrition effect,

grinding surface must be
as high as possible :
Shearing effect up to 40 m2/t or even more
of the grain

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Cascade and Cataract

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Cascade
. Compact charge
. Material comes in slowly
. Little influence on ventilation
. Few limited impacts, important
reduction by shearing and pressure
. Production of fine particles

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Cataract
. Open charge
. Material comes very quickly
into the charge
. Ventilation influences material flow speed
. Numerous impacts, sometimes too
powerful
. Few fine particles are produced
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Analysed parameters:

ρ = Lifting angle
φ = Foot angle
H = Media thickness
H
P = Media height ρ
E = (H × P)/J(%)
P

Charge parameter setting

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 1st CPT. : Liners

Smooth
MONOSTEP

Waved

Smooth with a lifter

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 Smooth step

Advised in 95% cases

Efficient liner for crushing and fine
production

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 Waved step

This liner is far more « aggressive »

than the smooth step.
Its great advantage is its « anti-wear »
profile

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 1st CPT. : LINERS

DUOLIFT DUO - 3 step / waved

DUOSTEP

BALL TRACK

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 Xlift Liner

• ABAB + AAAA

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Slegten grinding course 19
 Parameters influencing the mill efficiency

Mill Division
30 kWh/t
10 kWh/t 3000 kW
100 tph

40 kWh/t
10 kWh/t 3000 kW
75 tph

50 kWh/t

10 kWh/t 3000 kW
60 tph

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 Parameters influencing the mill efficiency

Mill Division
Energy waste in Cpt 1
Cpt 2 too short to generate 15 kWh/t

fineness
high C.L.

Ch1 = bottle-neck

5 kWh/t
Ch2 = overgrinding

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 Ball Charge Estimations

Diameter Weight Surface Nbr balls Specific surface

(mm) (gr) (cm 2 ) per mt m2 /mt

90 2917 254 343 9

80 2048 201 488 10
70 1372 154 729 11
60 864 113 1157 13

50 500 79 1999 16
40 256 50 3905 20
30 108 28 9257 26
25 63 20 15995 31 30 tons of
20 32 13 31241 39 ∅ 17 mm
17 20 9 50870 46 =
15 14 7 74052 52 1.5 millions ∅
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 Charge calculation in Cpt 1

Main parameters

Material : Mill geometrical parameters :

- Hardness - Cpt 1 specific power
- Clinker - Other cement components - Liner
- Granulometry - Diaphragm
- Abrasivity
- %H2O

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 Ball mill internal equipment

Lifting Liners

Total quantity required in mt ? 100

Grinding balls Charge Number % of total
diameter in of balls weight
(mm) (mt) (%/kg) Topping up
100 0.00 0 0.00%
90 25.50 8,705 25.39% 100 % 90 mm
80 35.50 17,411 35.67%
70 24.00 17,411 23.89%
60 15.00 17,411 15.05%
73 mm Avg unit size/weight: 1,641 gr Typical charge
Total: 100.00 60,937 100.00% in Cpt 1
2
Grinding surface in m : 1,036.5
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 Charge calculation in Cpt 1

hardness 50 120 150 200 KWh/t 6 8 10 12

∅90 15 18 20.5 26 ∅90 20.5 19 18 16.5
∅80 37 38 38 40 ∅80 43 40.5 38 35
∅70 39 36 34 28 ∅70 33.5 35 36 38
∅60 9 8 7.5 6 ∅60 3 5.5 8 10.5
* 10 kWh/t – granulo C * dureté 120 – granulo C

Granu A B C D Granu A B C D
∅90 3 9 18 24.5 %R20 0 2 17 42
∅80 7 31 38 38.5 %R8 3 21 49 71
∅70 40 43 36 32 %R4 17 46 70 84
∅60 50 17 8 5 %R2.5 33 63 80 90
* 10 kWh/t – hardness 120

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 Cpt 2 : Classifying Liners

A specific ball size suits each particle size

Tests in lab mill

60 => 20 % R / 90 µ
∅ 20 mm 19.2 minutes 8.5 kWh/t
∅ 30 mm 31.4 minutes 13.9 kWh/t

20 => 5 % R / 90 µ
∅ 10 mm 10.8 minutes 4.8 kWh/t
∅ 25 mm 38 minutes 16.9 kWh/t

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 Cpt 2 : Classifying Liners

Monosized ball gradation is more efficient than polysized

Tests in lab mill

20 => 2 % R / 90 microns

Single charge ∅ 20 mm 22.4 minutes

Mixed charge ∅ 17-20-25 mm 33.1 minutes

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 Cpt 2. : Classifying Liners

CLASSOLINE CLASSODRIFT

CLASSOGRADE CLASSODEEP

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 Cpt 2 Lining

Criteria used to choose the liner :

Material : Mill geometrical parameters

- Fineness at Cpt inlet - RPM
- Fineness at Cpt outlet - Mill dia
- Abrasivity - Filling degree

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 Charge calculation in Cpt 2

50 Dam of large size to

Main criteria : crush escaped particles
40
inlet/outlet %R90µ
30 ∅ 30mm ⇔ 59%R90µ
fineness 20
10 ∅ 25mm ⇔ 50%R90µ
∅ 20mm ⇔ 38%R90µ
1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m
∅ 17mm ⇔ 30%R90µ

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 Charge calculation in Cpt 2

1 ball charge to be calculated for each working

condition
Material :
Mill geometrical parameters
- Fineness at Cpt 2 inlet
- Fineness at Cpt 2 outlet - Ratio L/D
- Abrasivity - RPM
- Coating tendency - Filling degree
- Liner type
Circuit : - Slot dimensions
- Closed or open circuit - kWh/t in Cpt 1
- Separator type
- Circulating load
- Mill ventilation

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 Charge calculation in Cpt 2

1800 Bl
2000 Bl

1000 Bl
1000 Bl
3500 Bl

1800 Bl
2000 Bl
CL = (3500-1000) ÷ (1800-1000) = 3.1
CL = (3500-1000) ÷ (2000-1000) = 2.5

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 Magotteaux product range to equip ball mills

Classifying Liners
Liners with a classifying effect are strongly recommended

Tota l qua ntity re quire d in m t ? 200 3,212

Grinding ba lls Cha rge Num be r % of tota l
dia m e te r in of ba lls w e ight
(m m ) (m t) (%/kg) Topping up
60 11,00 12.670 5,48% 3%
50 6,50 12.670 3,17% 0%
40 3,00 12.670 1,62% 0%
30 27,50 253.403 13,69% 9%
25 59,50 950.263 29,70% 31%
20 30,50 950.263 15,21% 0%
17 62,50 3.167.542 31,13% 58%
15 0,00 0 0,00% 0%
19,8 m m A vg unit size/weight: 37,32 gr Typical charge
Tota l: 200,00 5.359.481 100,00%
2
for a 2nd Cpt
Grinding surface in m : 6.958,8
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 Diaphragms

Classical Diaphragm effects

- lack of material in the first

chamber

- transportation of the finer 1 m/sec 10 m/sec 1 m/sec

material far from the
second chamber inlet

- poor crushing efficiency

in the 1st chamber

- high pressure drop

accross the diaphragm 12 %

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 DIAPHRAGMS
MAGOTTEAUX RANGE OF BALL MILL INTERNAL EQUIPMENT

DIAPHRAGMS
Graphic showing the S produced in cm2/gr (Blaine) per
kWh with different filling degrees of material OPTICONTROL
in 1st compartment of a grinding mill

optimal
efficiency for
R = 19%
Ratio corresponding
to the fulfilling with
material of the free
spaces between
grinding balls

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DIAPHRAGMS

OPTICONTROL

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 MAGOTTEAUX RANGE OF BALL MILL INTERNAL EQUIPMENT

OPTICONTROL
process

Q scoop output = S useful area x H active height

constant

OPTICONTROL,
an optimal grinding
mill efficiency

OPTICONTROL,
a high performance
working method

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 Opticontrol Diaphragm

Scoop in full closed position Scoop in full open position

Air screen

Material level Material level

The section is not active The section is fully active

and picks up a minimum and picks up a maximum
amount of material amount of material

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 Opticontrol Diaphragm

Grate slots size: 6 - 8 mm

(cement)

Option to install grates

(slots 10 - 12 mm) on back side
in case of high ventilation

Δ For mills ≤ 3m, we

recommend a single
diaphragm

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 Optidry Diaphragm

Objectives :

Prevent Cpt 1 balls from entering drying Cpt

Minimize - gas flow perturbation
- pressure drop

Optidry
View from
Δ slot size varies from 20 to grinding cpt
35mm
Δ gas passage surface ↑ with
slot dimensions

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 Ventilation

Purpose:
· Fluidization / improves the flow of the material through the chamber
· Sweeping of fine particles fights the risk of coating
· Cooling of the material fights the risk of coating /
dehydration gypsum dehydration

Usual range:
Air speed Amount of air:
Open circuit : 0.8 to 1.2 m/sec
Closed circuit: 1.2 to 1.5 m/sec 0.3 to 0.45 Nm3/kg

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 Water injection

1. Purpose:
Keep material temperature at mill outlet < 105 °C.

2. Use:
Mainly in Cpt 2
If clinker temperature higher than 80°C, water may be injected in Cpt 1
(max H2O: 1% of fresh feed rate)

2.1. Injection in Cpt 1: 2.2. Injection in Cpt 2:

Free water flow The water must be injected in the
first third of the cpt.
Water duct can be installed
above feed belt or inside trunion It is necessary to install a water flow
control system and a safety system

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 Coating

Definition:
Agglomeration of fine particles (on lining and/or on grinding media)
grinding efficiency decrease
Reasons:
* Overgrinding (often in O.C., fine cement grinding and limestone addition)
* Too high outlet temperature in Cpt 2 ( > 110 °C at mill outlet)
* Fresh feed moisture (coating in Cpt 1)
Solutions:
* limit fine particles - good mill ventilation
- good separator
* Avoid outlet temperatures > 105 °C (ventilation, water injection, separator)
* Use grinding aids
* If coating is due to moisture, dry by hot clinker, hot rejects or hot gas
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 CR&T
OPTDIVFR

Thanks for your attention

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