Add Refractory Ore Crushing Process

Add Cone Crusher for Refractory Ore Crushing

In some processing plants, the grinding process is designed as a semi-autogenous grinding (SAB) process, which does not include a refractory ore crusher. As ore hardness increases, some plants opt to add cone crushers to the existing semi-autogenous grinding process for tough rock crushing, converting the original SAB process into an SABC process. This modification involves relatively minor changes to the overall process flow, but the following issues must be considered during the conversion:

(1) Modify the grid opening and tough rock discharge opening configurations at the SAB mill discharge end to ensure timely removal of tough rock from the mill;

(2) Calculate the conveying capacity of the oversize belt conveyor. Increased tough rock volume will raise conveying loads, necessitating verification of the belt conveyor's capacity;

(3) Install iron removal devices at the discharge end of the semi-autogenous mill and on the hard rock return conveyor to prevent iron pieces from entering the cone crusher feed, which could disrupt normal operation;

(4) Add a hard rock storage bin upstream of the hard rock crusher, as the cone crusher requires a fully packed feed to achieve optimal crushing efficiency;

(5) After installing the refractory crusher, the crusher operates nearly continuously. However, since feed from the ore bin to the crusher is intermittent, the crusher's discharge also becomes intermittent. This causes unstable feed to the semi-autogenous mill, requiring control room operators to adjust the mill's fresh feed rate appropriately to ensure stable mill operation. Some experts have suggested installing a storage bin after the hard rock crusher to ensure continuous return of crushed material to the semi-autogenous mill, thereby stabilizing its feed supply.

(6) The hard rock crusher should be designed with a 1-active-1-standby configuration, and a bypass system should be installed alongside it to enhance operational flexibility in the crushing and grinding process.

(7) Due to the lack of sharp edges and high moisture content in the rock, crushing results from cone crushers are inferior to those of the original ore. The discharge opening size of rock crushers is often large. When redesigning the rock crushing process, the product size should not be too fine;

(8) Adding a hard rock crusher increases the discharge particle size of the semi-autogenous mill, thereby increasing the load on ball mills within the grinding system. Consequently, ball mills must possess sufficient reserve capacity.

Practice demonstrates that adding a hard rock crusher increases the processing capacity of semi-autogenous mills by 10% to 20%, with the improvement varying depending on ore hardness.

(Technical parameters and data mentioned herein may be updated with product upgrades. Click website customer service for the latest equipment specifications.)

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