SIZE REDUCTION

- involves the production smaller mass units from larger mass units of the same material.
It is applied to all the ways in which particles of solids are cut or broken down into
smaller pieces.

Objectives of Size Reduction:

1. To meet the desired product specifications (size, shape and number)
2. To increase reactivity of solids (i.e. increase surface availability)
3. To permit separation of unwanted components by mechanical methods
4. For easier handling and waste disposal

Stages of Size Reduction:

In order to achieve successful size reduction, every lump or particle must be broken down by contact with
other particles or with the moving parts of the machine. However, as the average particle size decreases,
the number of particles increases therefore requiring more contacts for every unit mass. Hence, a solid
has to undergo stages of size reduction

COARSE SIZE REDUCTION INTERMEDIATE SIZE REDUCTION FINE SIZE REDUCTION

Feed size: 1.5 in. – 96 in Feed size: 1 – 3 in Feed size: 0.25 – 0.5 inch
Equipment ( for hard materials) Equipment: Equipment used:
1. Jaw crusher 1. Crushing rolls 1. Pebble mill
(a) Dodge type 2. Cone crushers 2. Rod mill
(b) Blake type 3. Edge runners 3. Ball mill
2. Gyratory crusher
Equipment used for soft materials:
1. Bradford Breaker for coal
2. Toothed roll crusher
3. Hammer mill
4. Squirrel-cage disintegrator

Energy Requirements for Size Reduction

Although it is impossible to estimate accurately the amount of energy required in order to effect a size
reduction of a given material, a number of empirical laws have been proposed. The two earliest laws are
due to Kick (1885) and Von Rittinger (1867) and a third law due to Bond (1952) has also been proposed.
These three laws may all be derived from the basic differential equation:
dE
 CLp
dL
which states that the energy dE required to effect a small change dL in size of unit mass of material is a
simple power function of size.
Law P Energy requirement
Rittinger’s law C = KRfc
“The work required in  1 1 KR = Rittinger’s constant
crushing is proportional to P=–2 E C   fc = crushing strength
the new surface created”  2
L L1  L = surface mean diameter
“Crushing efficiency is E = Power requirement
constant” Mass flow rate
Kick’s Law – (1885) states
that the work required for C = KKfc
crushing a given mass of KK = Kick’s constant
material is constant for the P=–1 L1 fc = crushing strength
same reduction ratio E  C ln L = surface mean diameter
L2 E = Power requirement
Mass flow rate
Bond Crushing Law:
C = 0.3162Wi
“The work required to form W i = work index
particles of size Dp from very P = – 3/2  1 1  L = particle diameter, mm
large feed is proportional to E  C  1/2  1/2  E = Power requirement, kW
the square root of the  L2 L1  Mass flow rate ton.hr-1
surface-to-volume ratio of
the product (sp / vp)

where: Wi = defined as the gross energy requirement in kilowatt-hours per ton of feed needed to reduce a

very large feed to such a size that 80 % of the product passes a 100 - m screen.

Neither Kick’s law or Rittinger’s law permits an accurate calculation of the energy requirements.
Rittinger’s law is applicable mainly to that part of the process where new surface is being
created and holds most accurately for fine grinding where the increase in surface per unit mass
of material is large. Kick’s law, more closely relates to the energy required to effect elastic
deformation before fracture occurs, and is more accurate than that Rittinger’s law for coarse
crushing where the amount of surface produced is considerably less.
SCREENING – It is the separation of materials on the basis of size
- It is accomplished by passing the material over a surface provided with openings of the desired size.
- It separates a mixture of various sizes of particles into two or more portions, each of which is more
uniform in size of particle than the original mixture
Effectiveness of Screens: (Undersize taken as Product)
Let x = mass fraction of the desired material in a given stream

Feed, F Oversize (Reject), R

xF xR

Undersize (Product), P
xP

Oversize – also called the plus material, the material that fails to pass through the screen
Undersize – also called the minus material, the material that passes through the screen

Effectiveness = Recovery x Rejection

Where: Recovery = mass of desired material in the product stream = xP P

mass of desired material in the feed xF F

Rejection = 1 – Recovery of undesired material

(1  x P ) P
= 1 
(1  x F ) F
x P P  (1 - x P ) P 
Effectiveness = 1 - 
x F F  (1 - x F ) F 

Note: Weighing the entire feed and product is not practical, and it is desirable to express the effectiveness
from the
analyses of samples alone. A material balance around the screening operation is then utilized:
In terms of mass fraction:
Overall Material Balance: F = P + R
Component Material Balance ( desired component ): xF F = x P P + x R R

P (xF  xR )
Combining: 
F (xP  xR )

xP (xF  xR ) (1  x P )( x F  x R )
Recovery = Rejection = 1 
xF (xP  xR ) (1  x F )( x P  x R )

xP (xF  xR )  (1  x P )( x F  x R ) 
Effectiveness = 1  
xF (xP  xR )  (1  x F )( x P  x R ) 
 Capacity of Screens:
The screen capacity indicates how much material a screen can handle. Capacity of screens and effectiveness are
closely related. If a low effectiveness may be tolerated, the screen may be operated at high capacity. The ability of
the device to prevent blinding of the screen surface is probably the most important single factor determining the capacity
of the screen.

Expressions of screen capacity:

1. mass of feed ; MT feed
(time)(area) day - ft2

2. mass of feed ; MT feed

(time)(area)(aperture) day - ft2 - mm

RANGE OF MOTION Re,p b1 n K Terminal velocity, ut

Stoke’s Law <2 24 1 <3.3 ut = g Dp2 (p –  )

18 

Intermediate Law 2 to 18.5 0.6 3.3 to 43.6 ut = 0.153 g 0.71 (p –  ) 0.71 Dp1.14 ,
500 0.29 0.43

Newton’s Law >500 0.44 0 43.6 to ut = 1.75 g Dp (p –  )

2360 

Criterion for settling range: ( if Re,p is not known )

1
 g  ( p   )  3
For free settling: K  Dp  
 2 

1
 g ρm ( ρ p  ρ ) ψ p  3
For hindered settling: K  Dp  
 μ2 

Where: Dp = diameter of the particle

 = density of the fluid
p = density of the particle
 = viscosity of the fluid
m = density of the mixture

where: m =   + (1 –  ) p
p = 1 ,
1.82(1 – )
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