A Piston and Die Test to Predict Laboratory-scale HPGR Performance

Hawkins, Rachel Anne (2007). A Piston and Die Test to Predict Laboratory-scale HPGR Performance Master's Thesis, School of Engineering, University of Queensland.

       
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Author Hawkins, Rachel Anne
Thesis Title A Piston and Die Test to Predict Laboratory-scale HPGR Performance
School, Centre or Institute School of Engineering
Institution University of Queensland
Publication date 2007
Thesis type Master's Thesis
Supervisor Dr Emmanuel Manlapig
Language eng
Subjects 091404 Mineral Processing/Beneficiation
Formatted abstract This work investigates the piston and die test as a means of simulating ore breakage within a lab-scale HPGR unit. This was achieved by comparing the products obtained in a piston and die test to those obtained from lab-scale HPGR tests using three different ores. This work also investigated using the piston and die test to obtain an appearance/breakage function for compressed bed breakage.

One of the keys to designing and optimising a grinding circuit is to understand how the feed will behave in a particular comminution device. Cost estimates of comminution processing plants are almost exclusively based on the power required to reduce material to a certain grind size. These estimates allow designers to calculate the tonnage capabilities of a plant. Samples are then taken regularly during the life of the mine to monitor the hardness properties of future feed that will come into the processing plant.

Laboratory and pilot scale comminution devices are used to assess the grinding properties and power draw of new feed so that appropriate changes can be made to full-scale processes to handle this new material. However, a problem with this approach is that a large amount of material is required to conduct such test work. For example, a single lab-scale HPGR test requires around 7 kg of material. If a laboratory test could be developed to test ore for HPGR processing based on a small amount of material such as drill core, this would be a useful tool in plant and process design. This tool could be used in collaboration with a lab-scale HPGR to conduct initial feed testing and assist in designing pilot-scale test programs. It would also provide a quick way of testing future ores from drill core samples.

The results of this work conclude that the piston and die test produces breakage products which are comparable to the lab-scale HPGR unit. Data obtained from the piston and die test was used to generate HPGR models in JKSimMet and it was found that these simulation results were similar to those produced by a model created using the standard lab-scale HPGR test data. The piston and die test is now ready to be developed as a standard procedure in HPGR ore characterisation studies.
Keyword High pressure (Technology)
High pressure (Technology) -- Equipment and supplies
Milling machinery
Additional Notes Variant title: A piston and die test to predict lab-scale HPGR

 
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