Volume based closed-cycle hardgrove grindability method

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of a volume based closed-cycle grindability test method based on the recently introduced Universal Hardgrove mill and procedure. Five model materials with various origin and material characteristics (hardness, grindability, heterogeneity) were chosen for the experiments, i.e. limestone, quartz, andesite, basalt and cement clinker. The grindability of the material was characterized simultaneously in four various ways: 1) the standard Hardgrove Grindability test (HGI), 2) Bond work index calculated from HGI, 3) the conventional Bond test and 4) the closed-cycle volume based grindability test in the Universal Hardgrove mill. The grindability coefficient (G), and the cumulative particle size distribution of 80% passing size (x80) of the product of the closed-cycle Hardgrove test were determined. Relative deviation of the above parameters was very good (in most cases lower than 3%) which indicates the new proposed method as a robust procedure for rapid determination of specific grinding energy of closed cycle grinding in ring mills. Therefore, this test is able to ease the optimization of grinding conditions relatively fast and reliably.