Why HPGRs are revolutioning mill circuits

News Article
Minerals

First published August 2019

Chosen for their energy efficiency, long wear life and

downstream advantages, High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HGPRs)
are increasingly being used at the heart of comminution circuits.
Starting in the 1980’s, HPGR was first successfully implemented in the
cement industry and is now used across a wide range of mining applications.
Today, there are more than 200 machines operating in the mining industry
around the globe, on more than 150 sites.
These energy-efficient grinding machines are mostly used for processing iron,
gold, copper and diamond ores, although they’re increasingly being deployed
for lithium, limestone and vanadium.
Despite having a significantly smaller footprint than conventional “tumbling”
mills, HPGR’s are high-capacity crushing units delivering a high degree of size
reduction, resulting from sophisticated inter-particle grinding.
High Pressure Grinding Rolls consist of two counter rotating, similar sized
rolls, which synchronously operate at variable speeds, depending on
the plant’s requirements, which force particles to crush one another and
compress the feed’s density to 80% of its solid volume.
This compression mechanism introduces ‘micro-cracks’ in the grains, which
in turn increases downstream milling capacity and improves mineral recovery.
HPGR circuits consume up to 40% less energy
As ore grades decline across the globe, miners are being pushed to dig
deeper and process more competent ore bodies, requiring a more efficient
comminution technology to remain profitable. The inter-particle grinding of a
HPGR produces significantly more fines than conventional crushing, as the
force is applied from multiple directions and to particles of all sizes, not just
the coarser size fractions.
This means more product is at size with one pass and doesn’t require
to recirculate back through the comminution device again, driving plant
efficiency.
In total, HPGRs represent energy savings of as much as 40% compared to
conventional circuits whilst reducing downstream milling requirements. As a
single HPGR unit only uses 0.8 - 2.5 kWh per tonne of material, they not only
saving you money but freeing up capacity for downstream milling.
Micro-cracking improves mineral liberation
The high pressure of HPGR’s “bed-breakage” creates micro-cracks in the ore,
promoting improved mineral recovery at coarser size fractions. This means
less leaching acid is required and percolation periods are shortened, reducing
costs and maximising recovery in less time.
In the diamond industry, the HPGR acts as a selective grinder, protecting the
valuable diamonds whilst preferentially weakening the surrounding waste
rock (gangue).
Apart from mineral liberation improvements, recent studies have proven
that the microcracks also significantly reduce the required grinding media
Minerals
in the subsequent milling stage. These direct energy
savings are amplified by the reduced grinding material
consumption and lower liner wear. Through the reduction
of material and electrical waste, High Pressure Grinding
Rolls are reducing the ecological impact of grinding.
Indirect grinding reduces wear and tear
In traditional cone crushing, and especially with hard and
abrasive ores, the size reduction is achieved by direct
contact between the ore and the liners resulting in
significant wear and thus higher operational costs.
With HPGR, the indirect particle-on-particle grinding in
combination with a “autogenous layer” which is formed
in-between the studs, exposing the roll surface to less
wear.
Additionally, by using high-quality tungsten carbide
studs optimised and tailored for the specific application,
operational lifespan can be maximised. Building on
decades of operational experience, Enduron® roll
surfaces have been improved, making use of varying stud
hardness across the full width of the tyre that promote
even wear by transferring pressure to the ‘operating gap’
and away from the edges. The “edge studs” are patented
and have a unique interlocking system, keeping them in
position even under the toughest conditions.
When tyres do reach the end of their effective lives, it
wasn’t uncommon for replacement to take 72 hours or
longer. However advanced frame designs such as the
Enduron® HPGR now allow tyres to be exchanged within
a single 24-hour shut down and innovative features like
spring-loaded lateral walls ensure particles stay where
they’ll receive the most pressure and cause the least
abrasion.
The unique cylindrical roller bearing arrangement of the
Enduron® HPGR removes the ever-present threat of
HPGRs suffering from bearing failure, which often has a
significant price tag and lead-time risk attached due to
the global shortage of large engineered bearings.
Copyright © 2019, Weir Minerals Australia Ltd. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned in this document
are trademarks and/or registered trademarks in the name of The Weir Group PLC and/or its subsidiaries.
The flexibility of HPGR provides advantages for a
variety of comminution circuits
HPGRs can handle a wide variety of ores and particle
sizes, from fine pellet feed all the way up to coarse
grinding of 75mm magnetite iron ore. Alongside their
greater tolerance for ores of different hardness and
variable roller speed, HPGRs promote greater flexibility in
feed conditions and circuit design than traditional mills.
Additionally, thanks to Enduron® HPGR’s unique
bearing construction, the rolls can be skewed outside
the bearing, eliminating bearing peak loads without
compromising crushing conditions. This allows tramp
metals or oversized materials present in mineral feeds to
pass smoothly through without damaging the tyres.
Skewing also ensures that even pressure is applied
across a segregated or uneven feed, whereas flanged roll
designs only allow a symmetric operating gap, resulting
in pressure loss and coarser product quality.
High Pressure Grinding Rolls are generally thought to
only be effective in controlled “dry” grinding applications,
however (depending on the material saturation level) they
can readily process minerals well above 10% moisture.
This gives HPGR’s the flexibility to fit into a wide array of
applications with both wet and dry classification.
In a departure from traditional classification, Weir
Minerals developed a complete dry air classification
system which combines HPGR fine grinding and efficient
classification without a single drop of water. As water
becomes more challenging to secure around the globe,
this development takes sustainable mining to the next
level, making Enduron® HPGR an ideal choice for mines
in arid environments without significant, or affordable
access to groundwater.
For more information on how Enduron® High Pressure
Grinding Rolls can future-proof your next mill circuit,
increase efficiency, reduce your cost per tonne and
maximise plant availability, contact your local team.
Weir Minerals Division Marketing
and Communications Team
communications@mail.weir
www.global.weir