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
Slegten grinding course 2
 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.

Slegten grinding course 3

Reduction Methods

Splitting up
by impact

Slegten grinding course 4

Reduction Methods

Nipping angle
and particle size

Slegten grinding course 5

Reduction Methods

Shearing effect
on the grain

Slegten grinding course 6

 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.
Slegten grinding course 7
 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

Slegten grinding course 8

 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

Slegten grinding course 9

Cascade and Cataract

Slegten grinding course 10

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

Slegten grinding course 11

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
Slegten grinding course 12
Analysed parameters:

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

Charge parameter setting

Slegten grinding course 13
 1st CPT. : Liners

Smooth
MONOSTEP

Waved

Smooth with a lifter

Slegten grinding course 14
 Smooth step

Advised in 95% cases

Efficient liner for crushing and fine
production

Slegten grinding course 15

 Waved step

This liner is far more « aggressive »

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

Slegten grinding course 16

 1st CPT. : LINERS

DUOLIFT DUO - 3 step / waved

DUOSTEP

BALL TRACK

Slegten grinding course 17

 Xlift Liner

• ABAB + AAAA

Slegten grinding course 18

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

Slegten grinding course 20

 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

Slegten grinding course 21

 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 ∅
Slegten grinding course 22
 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

Slegten grinding course 23

 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
Slegten grinding course 24
 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

Slegten grinding course 25

 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

Slegten grinding course 26

 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

Slegten grinding course 27

 Cpt 2. : Classifying Liners

CLASSOLINE CLASSODRIFT

CLASSOGRADE CLASSODEEP

Slegten grinding course 28

 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

Slegten grinding course 29

 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

Slegten grinding course 30

 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

Slegten grinding course 31

 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

Slegten grinding course 32

 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
Slegten grinding course 33
 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 %

Slegten grinding course 34

 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

Slegten grinding course 35

DIAPHRAGMS

OPTICONTROL

Slegten grinding course 36

 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

Slegten grinding course 37

 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

Slegten grinding course 38

 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

Slegten grinding course 39

 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

Slegten grinding course 40

 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

Slegten grinding course 41

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

Slegten grinding course 42

 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
Slegten grinding course 43
 CR&T
OPTDIVFR

Thanks for your attention

Slegten grinding course 44