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Authors: Greg Fenrick and Jack Caldwell
In This Review
- Summary
- Introduction
- Blasting
- Ball Mills
- SAG Mills
- Rod Mills
- High Pressure Grinding Rolls
- The Process
- Major Advances
- The Benefits
- Software
- Books & Magazines
Summary
This review looks at the different types of comminution, including blasting, crushing, grinding, and milling, as well as the equipment involved. It looks specifically at ball mills, SAG mills, rod mills, and high pressure grinding rolls. Links to software and publications related to comminution are also given.
Introduction
The word comminution is not frequently used in the mining industry. I found the SGS website that provides a superb overview and links to specific details on comminution.
The InfoMine dictionary provides these definitions of Comminution:
- The gradual diminution of a substance to a fine powder or dust by crushing, grinding, or rubbing; specifically, the reduction of a rock to progressively smaller particles by weathering, erosion, or tectonic movements.
- The breaking, crushing, or grinding by mechanical means of stone, coal, or ore, for direct use or further processing. Syn: pulverization; trituration
- White, finely-ground rock material (rock-flour) characteristic of burst fractures. May be indicative of secondary movement on induced fractures.
We concern ourselves in this review with the first two definitions.
Blasting
Blasting is the first step in comminuting rock that contains ore. The bigger the average size of the blasted rock, the more crushing and grinding you will have to undertake. Let us proceed in this review on the basis that you have optimized the energy expenditure involved in getting the rock to the fine particle-size best to liberate the metal; and that you have refined to optimum the blasting and crushing part of comminution. Hence we can proceed to the grinding part of comminution.
 Full Review
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