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maintaining a constant void volume filling for a given L..
percent solids. CaCO, was selected because it was ...
known to produce pseudoplastic suspensions, similar
to quartzite, with relatively small additions and was
used by previous investigators in a similar study
(Clarke and Kitchener, 1968).
Viscosity curves showing relative viscosity versus
viscometer spindle speed are presented in Fig. 1 for
various percent solids and grinding times. Pseudo-
plastic nature of the quartzite slurries is indicated by
the reduction in viscosity with increasing rate of shear
(i.e., shear thinning). At 60% solids, viscosity is seen
to increase directly with grinding time over the entire
range of spindle speed. A similar relationship was
obtained for 70% solids between 15 and 30 minutes.
However, the viscosity curves at 30 and 60 minutes of
grinding virtually coincided. The manner in which 101 1
these curves tend to parallel one another indicates that lo0 10' lo2
viscosity variations due to percent solids or particle SPINDLE SPEED - RPM
size distribution may be characterized equally well a t Fig. 1- Slurry viscosity as a function of spindle speed at
any given spindle speed (shear rate). In subsequent different percent solids and grinding time
discussions, therefore, viscosity is generally quoted at
the intermediate speed of 7.5 rpm, a s the lower rpm
data was less accurate and some of the high spindle In terms of the rate of grinding, Fig. 3 shows that a s
speed results were erroneous due to the effects of percent solids increased, the percent - 325 mesh was
turbulence. maximized a t approximately 60% (192 mPa.s vis-
The effect of pulp density, size distribution of solids, cosity). With increasing viscosity due to CaCO, pre-
and viscosity modifiers on abrasive wear and grinding cipitates, the grinding rate decreased continuously.
rate, as indicated by percent - 325 mesh, are presented The use of the viscosity modifier produced results
in Fig. 2. As percent solids increased from 50% to 70% similar to those obtained by percent solids variation
(solid line), media wear decreased continuously from at the same viscosity. Therefore, the grinding rate
59.3 to 44.0 mg/ball. Additions of up to 200 and 175 g appears to be more sensitive to viscosity.
of CaCO, precipitates a t 50% and 60% solids, respec-
tively (dashed lines), resulted in some further decrease Effects of ball coating
in wear due to the effects of viscosity (see the viscosity
values in parentheses). The use of 0.5 kg/t Dow 4272 Ball coating characteristics were determined using
viscosity reducing agent at 60% and 70% solids showed the method reported previously (Iwasaki et al., 1985)
very little effect on media wear. The rate of grinding, for quartzite slurries of various percent solids, CaCO,
also presented in Fig. 2, is seen to be maximized a t additions, and grinding times and are summarized in
60% solids. The addition of CaCO, precipitates resulted Table 1. With increasing percent solids, the thickness
in a continuous decrease in percent - 325 mesh a t the of the ball coating is seen to increase together with the
lower percent solids. At 60% solids the viscosity percent solids of the coating. I t is interesting to note
modifier led to a slight decrease in the grinding rate, that only a t the highest density (70% solids) was the
while at 70% solids, percent - 325 mesh increased. percent solids of the coating the same as the bulk of the
To further evaluate the contributions of viscosity, slurry. Table 1 also shows a similar relationship with
Fig. 3 was constructed showing relative viscosity a s increasing additions of CaCO, and increasing grinding
the abscissa rather than percent solids. Similar to time. Further examination of the data in Table 1
Fig. 2, media wear is seen to decrease continuously indicates that there is a good correlation between
with increasing viscosity a s percent solids increased; grindhg time, viscosity, and ball coating. This will be
however, increased viscosity due to CaCO, additions discussed in more detail later.
showed slightly higher wear a t the same viscosity. At The effects of ball coating on media wear are
70% solids, the use of 0.5 kg/t viscosity modifier did summarized in Table 2. With increasing percent
result in a significant reduction in viscosity, but solids, media wear is seen to decrease with increasing
despite the magnitude of this change, there was coating thickness. A similar trend is evident with
MINERALS AND METALLURGICAL PROCESSING
FEBRUARY 1987 33
increasing additions of CaCO, precipitates. However, radially attached bars, the tee-bar spindle has the
with the viscosity modifier a t 70% solids, the wear rate advantage of having no areas for particles to settle and
decreased somewhat despite a significant decrease in is not as susceptible to slippage. However, because of
coating thickness. the absence of a well defined shearing gap, exact shear
rates cannot be calculated; thus, only relative viscos-
ity data can be determined.
Various means of evaluating the effects of slurry
50% Solids rheology on the process of grinding in tumbling mills
6O0/0 Solids
have been utilized. Early investigators concentrated
on variation of the characteristics of the liquid media,
such a s glycerine (Clarke and Kitchener, 1068;
Schweyer, 1942), corn syrup (Hockings, Volin, and
- - Due to CaCOj Mular, 1965), and calcium carbonate precipitates
(Clarke and Kitchener, 1968). While these efforts did
produce some valuable information, because actual
slurry viscosity a t any time during grinding is affected
by other factors such as particle size distribution and
shear rate (as well a s other liquid properties - density
and surface tension), it has become increasingly
apparent that the viscosity of the slurry itself needs
to be considered. Recent work by Klimpel and co-
workers (1982, 1983) has successfully demonstrated
the analysis of the effects of slurry density on grinding
rates by characterization of the slurry after grinding.
I
I I
60 70 80 50% Solids
%SOLIDS (including CaC03)
Discussion
Determination of the rheological properties of a
mineral slurry is a complex matter due to various
factors such a s nonideal rheological behavior, particle
settling tendencies, and possible problems associated
with particle migration away from viscometer shear-
ing surfaces. Consequently, rheological measurements
are used mainly for trend or relative comparison
purposes, and a s yet, no standard equipment or
procedures have been universally accepted.
The three most commonly used instruments for the
rheological characterization of mineral slurries are
consistometers (DeVaney and Shelton, 1940), rota-
tional viscometers (Underwood, 1976; McKennel, 1960; 8 R E L A T I V E VISCOSITY - mPa-s (7.5RPM)
Tucker, 1982), and pipeline rheometers (Pouska and
Link, 1981). Of these, the rotational viscometers Fig. 3 - Viscosity vs. erosive wear and percent - 325 mesh
provide the best overall performance giving quick, showing the effectsof percent sollds not related to viscosity.
reproducible results under a variety of slurry condi- Numbers in parentheses indicate % solids of pulps.
tions and particle sizes. The most popular of the
rotational viscometer spindle geometries is concentric
cylinders, which have the advantage of providing well Effect of percent solids and viscosity
defined shearing conditions. However, due to potential
problems of particle settling on top of the spindle Experimental results presented herein have shown
(Underwood, 1976),as well as coarse particles slipping the abrasive wear of grinding media in quartzite
on the cylindrical surfaces (Hansford, Levy, and slurries to be significantly affected by pulp density.
Dekock, 1976), a tee-bar spindle has also been used Over the range of 60% to 70% solids, wear was found to
(Underwood, 1976). Consisting of a central shaft with decrease continuously with increasing percent solids.
- -
Table 2 - Summary of Ball Coating Effects on Wear and Grinding Efficiency at 60 Min Grinding
Slze -325 Ball Coatlng
Wear Rate Modulus meoh Vol. Thlckneee Sollds Ratlo
Sample % Sollds rnglball k, Frn % rnL (urn) % Thickneeelk
Quartzite
Taconite'
50% Solids
6 0 % "
A 70% "
+80°/o "
0 60% Sol + Vi;~c.Mociifier
A 70% Sol +
5 10 15 20 25 30
v, lo'
lo0
u- lo1 102 lo3 104
RATIO O F COATING THICKNESS/SIZE MODULUS
RELATIVE VISCOSITY - mP0.s (7.5RPM) Fig. 5 - Effect of ball coating thickness relative to the largest
particle size on percent - 325 mesh for quartzite and taconite
Fig. 4 - Relationship between ball coating thickness and
viscosity as a function of grinding time
viscosity modifying chemicals also affected wear, but
Abrasive wear has been shown to decrease with to a much lesser degree than percent solids. The
thicker ball coatings; however, dven the relatively packing density of particles at the ball surface affected
large coating increases due to CaCO, additions, the the physical ability of the slurry to shield the ball
reductions in wear were significantly less than would surface; therefore, both viscosity and packing density
have been anticipated based on ball coating changes decreased media wear with increasing percent solids.
due to percent solids. In other words, the same coating As percent solids increased, the viscosity effects due to
thickness of a higher percent solids slurry would result size distribution were diminished, leaving percent
in greater reductions in wear. Thus, the percent solids solids as the primary determinant of viscosib. The
or the packing density of the slurry that coats the grinding rate was seen to be primarily dependent on
grinding balls, a s well a s the thickness of the coating, viscosity, lnltially increasing up to a maximum and
affected the ability of the slurry to shield the balls then decreasing.
from abrasive wear. This point is also emphasized by The thickness of the slurry that coats the grinding
the very small change in wear shown for a 70% solids media has been shown to be directly related to the
slurry treated with 0.5 kg/t viscosity modifier despite slurry viscosity. Therefore, the changes in abrasive
a significant drop in viscosity and ball coating thick- wear and grinding rates may be explained in terms of
ness. The importance of the physical characteristics of the packing density of the slurry coating the balls and
the coating is also indicated by the higher wear rates the coating thickness. Abrasive wear was seen to be
obtained with the harder quartzite slurries compared related to both factors, with the physical characteris-
to taconite. tics of the slurry playing the major role. Grinding was
The abilitv of a slurrv to shield articles from a function of coating thickness, being optimum when
grinding canWberepresented by the r a t k of the coating the thickness was about twice the largest particle
thickness to the largest particle size present in the size. W
slurry. An estimate-was obtained for relative com-
parison purposes from the size modulus, or the hypo- Acknowledgment
thetical maximum size in the Schuhmann eauation, of
the final ground solids. This data, shown in ?able 2, is Financial support provided for this project by the US
plotted against percent -325 mesh in Fig. 5, which Department of Energy under Contract DE-FC07-
gives an excellent illustration of the effects of ball 83ID124.1is gratefully acknowledged.
coating on grinding efficiency. A certain degree of
coating, on the order of twice the size modulus, was References
required for optimum grinding with reduced efficiency
beyond that point due to cushioning. Clarke, B., and Kltchener. J.A., 1968, "The Influence of Pulp Viscosity on Fine
Grinding In a Ball Mill," British Chemlcal Engineerlng. Vol. 13, pp. 991.995.
Committee on Comminutlon and Energy Consumptlon, 1981, Comminution and
Conclusions Energy ConsumpUon, Natlonal Materials Advlsory Board. National Academy of
Sciences. Washlngton, DC. 283 pp.
The abrasive wear of grinding media was strongly DeVaney, F.D.. and Shelton, S.M., 1940, "Properties of Suspensions Mediums for
Float-and-Sink Concentration," RI 3489. U S Bureau of Mlnes.
influenced by pulp density through both viscosity and Hansford. G.S., Levy, C.D., and Dekock. I.W., 1976, "Rheolaglcal Measurements of
the physical shielding of the ball surface. Viscosity Pulps from South Afrlcan Gold Mlnes." South Alrlcan institute 01 Mining 8
changes due to factors such as size distribution and Metallurgy, pp. 363-369.
TECHNICAL NOTE
machine. For a comparison, the upper limit of air Houghton, MI. SME-MMP nonmeeting paper 86-655. Manu-
escape velocity values used in commercial size flota- script June 1986.