Rock grinding in centrifugal mills

Grinding can be done by different equipment: mills, disintegrators, dismembrators, attritors, grinders. The main disbenefit of such machines is low efficiency measured in terms of fineness, energy intake of the process and wear of an active member. At impact velocities of 30–50 m/s, the fineness of rocks with the hardness f = 7…11 on Protodyakonov’s scale is no more than 3. A pilot centrifugal mill is designed for test grinding of different rocks. The research finds out that the impact velocity required to break a rock particle depends on the equivalent diameter of the latter and increases nonlinearly as the diameter decreases. An equation is obtained to connect the energy intensity of fracture of a rock particle with its equivalent diameter. If free impact grinding takes a few stages, the particle velocity before the next impact should be determined with regard to the maximal particle size after the previous impact. The conclusion is drawn that it is expedient to assess the structural perfection and performance efficiency of centrifugal mills by the ratio of Bond’s work index to fineness. Free-impact centrifugal mills are less effective as compared with the machines that perform grinding by impact, attrition, crushing and shearing.

Afanasyev A. I., Zubov V. V., Simisinov D. I., Chirkova A. A. Rock grinding in centrifugal mills. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(3):18-29. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/ 0236_1493_2025_3_0_18.

A.I. Afanasyev¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Professor, e-mail: gmf.tm@m.ursmu.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7869-9208,
V.V. Zubov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, e-mail: v.zubov.r66@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0659-9870,
D.I. Simisinov¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Head of Chair, e-mail: 7sinov@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6095-0073,
A.A. Chirkova¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, e-mail: alena.chirkova@m.ursmu.ru,
¹ Ural State Mining University, 620144, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

D.I. Simisinov, e-mail: 7sinov@mail.ru.

1. Abdulova S. R. Vibrating mills: aspects of classification. Proceedings of Irkutsk State Technical University. 2015, no. 3 (98), pp. 30—34. [In Russ].

2. Matveev A. I., Vinokurov V. R. Design development of a new combined-action rock shredder. Arctic and Subarctic Natural Resources. 2020, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 63—73. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.31242/26189712-2020-25-3-6.

3. Savinykh P. A., Isupov A. Yu., Ivanov I. I. Determination of the main kinematic parameters of particle motion in the channel of the distribution bowl of a centrifugal rotary shredder. Bulletin NGIEI. 2020, no. 7(110), pp. 37—46. [In Russ].

4. Batyrov V. I., Apkhudov T. M. Substantiation of the main design and technological parameters of a two-roll rotary shredder. Izvestiya of Kabardino-Balkarian state agrarian university named after V.M. Kokov. 2022, no. 4 (38), pp. 87—97. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.55196/2411-3492-2022-4-38-87-97.

5. Aleksandrova T., Nikolaeva N., Afanasova A., Romashev A., Kuznetsov V. Justification for criteria for evaluating activation and destruction processes of complex ores. Minerals. 2023, vol. 13, no. 5, article 684. DOI: 10.3390/min13050684.

6. Baron L. I., Khmel'kovskiy I. E. Razrushaemost' gornykh porod svobodnym udarom [Destructibility of rocks by free impact], Moscow, Nauka, 1971, 203 p.

7. Golovanov A. V., Gabov V. V., Sapozhnikov A. I. Justification of energy-saving technologies of rock disintegration. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2012, no. 11, pp. 11—14. [In Russ].

8. Andreev S. E. Zakonomernosti izmel'cheniya i ischisleniya kharakteristik granulometricheskogo sostava [Regularities of grinding and calculation of characteristics of granulometric composition], Moscow, Metallurgizdat, 1959, 437 p.

9. Belov N. N., Plyaskin A. S., Klopotov A. A., Yugov A. A., Bunkov V. E., Potekaev A. I., Yugov N. T., Useinov E. S. Deformation and fracture of sandwich concrete structures reinforced with carbon fiber under shock-wave loading. Russian Physics Journal. 2022, vol. 64, no. 10, pp. 1977—1983. DOI: 10.1007/s11182-022-02530-7.

10. Belov N. N., Biryukov Yu. A., Roslyak A. T., Yugov N. T., Afanasyeva S. A. Processes of impact interaction of particles of ceramic materials during grinding in a pneumatic circulation device. Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering. 2005, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 327—333. [In Russ].

11. Gorlov I. V., Mitusov P. E., Belyaev A. M. Analysis of the grinding process of weak rocks. Ugol'. 2022, no. 6 (1155), pp. 44—47. [In Russ]. DOI: 0.18796/0041-5790-2022-6-44-47.

12. Rumshinskiy L. Z. Matematicheskaya obrabotka rezul'tatov eksperimenta [Mathematical processing of experimental results], Moscow, Nauka, 1971, 176 p.

13. Petrov V., Kuznetsov N., Morozov I. Experimental studies of energy technology indicators during ore crushing at a processing plant. 2020 IEEE International Conference on Advent Trends in Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (ICATMRI). IEEE, 2020, pp. 1—4.

14. Adewuyi S. O., Ahmed H., Ahmed H. M. A. Methods of ore pretreatment for comminution energy reduction. Minerals. 2020, vol. 10, no. 423, pp. 1—23. DOI: 10.3390/min10050423.

15. Zubov V. V., Simisinov D. I., Akhlyustina N. V., Khazin M. L., Davydov S. Ya. Determination of the parameters of a counterblow grinder. Refractories and Industrial Ceramics. 2018, vol. 58, no. 5, pp. 521—524. DOI: 10.1007/s11148-018-0136-1.

16. Yusupov T. S., Baksheeva I. I., Rostovtsev V. I. Analysis of different-type mechanical effects on selectivity of mineral dissociation. Journal of Mining Science. 2015, vol. 51, no. 6, pp. 1248—1253. DOI: 10.1134/s1062739115060552.

17. Baron L. I., Konyashin Yu. G., Kurbatov V. M. Drobimost' gornykh porod [Rock crushing], Moscow, Izd-vo AN SSSR, 1963, 348 p.

18. Vinokurov V. R., Matveev A. I. Development of a methodology for calculating the operating parameters of centrifugal crushing devices of multiple dynamic action. The Education and Science Journal. 2012, no. 1, pp. 32—34. [In Russ].

19. Matveev A. I., Vinokurov V. R., Lvov E. S. Development of the method of destruction by «free» impact in the implementation of the method of multiple dynamic impact for ore preparation processes. Materialy XI Kongressa obogatiteley stran SNG [Materials of the XI Congress of Enrichers of the CIS countries], Мoscow, 2017, pp. 376—379. [In Russ].

20. Purhamadani E., Bagherpour R., Tudeshki H. Energy consumption in open-pit mining operations relying on reduced energy consumption for haulage using in-pit crusher systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021, vol. 291, article 125228. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125228.

21. Wegener K., Bleicher F., Krajnik P., Hoffmeister H.-W., Brecher C. Recent developments in grinding machines. CIRP Annals. 2017, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 779—802. DOI: 10.1016/j.cirp.2017.05.006.

22. Rodriguez J., Pontt J., Newman P., Musalem R., Miranda H., Morán L., Alzamora G. Technical evaluation and practical experience of high-power grinding mill drives in mining applications. IEEE transactions on industry applications. 2005, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 866—874. DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2005.847321.