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Minerals
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Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition
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Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 6212

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Josep Oliva

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Guest Editor
Departament d’Enginyeria Minera, Industrial i TIC, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Bases de Manresa, 08242 Manresa, Spain
Interests: mineral processing; comminution; modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hernán Anticoi

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Guest Editor
Departament d’Enginyeria Minera, Industrial i TIC, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Tech, Av. Bases de Manresa 61-63, 08242 Manresa, Spain
Interests: mineral processing; comminution; modeling; energy optimization; pollution remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Comminution is the biggest energy-consuming operation in mineral processing. The aim is to liberate locked minerals in order to provide the best conditions for further separation units. If liberation is not enough, the separation processes will be inefficient.

Experimental studies on mineral comminution are essential to understand how a mineral breaks and what the particle size distribution of the products will be after this breakage process. In this regard, experimental studies and numerical development take a leading role in defining comminution processes. With this information, industrial comminution may be optimized using particle size distribution sensors and advanced control systems with artificial intelligence. If we wish to apply all of these technologies, we must know the breakage process linked with the parameter process, and experimental and numerical studies allow us to collect these data.

This Special Issue aims to collect new work in this field and to disseminate knowledge around the world so as to advance this area of mineral processing.

Prof. Dr. Josep Oliva
Prof. Dr. Hernán Anticoi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • comminution
  • modeling
  • crushing
  • grinding
  • liberation
  • optimization
  • energy saving

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 4961 KiB  
Article
Study on Grinding Optimization of Cassiterite Polymetallic Sulfide Ore Based on Single-Factor Test Method
by Jinlin Yang, Pengyan Zhu, Xingjian Deng, Hengjun Li, Shaojian Ma and Dingzheng Wang
Minerals 2025, 15(8), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080827 - 3 Aug 2025
Viewed by 220
Abstract
Cassiterite polymetallic sulfide ore exhibits a complex mineral composition and significant variations in mineral properties, which frequently lead to issues such as the over-grinding of cassiterite and under-grinding of sulfide minerals during the grinding process. These issues consequently impair liberation performance in subsequent [...] Read more.
Cassiterite polymetallic sulfide ore exhibits a complex mineral composition and significant variations in mineral properties, which frequently lead to issues such as the over-grinding of cassiterite and under-grinding of sulfide minerals during the grinding process. These issues consequently impair liberation performance in subsequent beneficiation stages. Among these factors, the grinding media ratios stand as one of the critical factors influencing grinding efficiency. Based on these, the paper adopts the single-factor test method to systematically study the influence law of factors such as grinding time, mill rotational rate, and mill filling rate on the particle size composition of ore grinding products and the grinding technology efficiency under different media conditions; in addition, it is compared with the influence law of different conditions of media ratios on the grinding efficiency of ore. The results show that the optimal parameters of the grinding operation are obtained at the grinding time of 4 min, the mill rotational rate of 60%, and the filling rate of 35%. The grinding time and mill filling rate have a relatively more significant effect on the product particle size distribution, while the effect of the mill rotational rate is relatively less significant. When the parameters of grinding operations are optimal, the yield of qualified particle size and grinding technical efficiency are used as the evaluation indices, respectively. Overall, the order of the grinding effect of different media conditions was as follows: steel ball combination of Φ20 mm and Φ25 mm > steel balls of three single sizes > steel ball combination of Φ20 mm and Φ30 mm. The optimal grinding media ratios are Φ20 mm and Φ25 mm (the percentage of the Φ20 mm ball is 90%). The reasonable media ratios will effectively coordinate the optimal grinding effect between different media. The research results can provide the necessary basic data for the subsequent grinding optimization of cassiterite polymetallic sulfide ores. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition)
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19 pages, 5430 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Influence of Medium Size and Ratio on Grinding Characteristics
by Xin Fang, Caibin Wu, Ningning Liao, Jiuxiang Zhong, Xuqian Duan, Shenglin Zhu, Aijun Liu and Ke Xiao
Minerals 2024, 14(9), 875; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090875 - 27 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1150
Abstract
This study explores the effect of steel ball size and proportion on mineral grinding characteristics using Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. Based on batch grinding kinetics, this paper analyzes the contact behavior during grinding, discussing particle breakage conditions and critical breakage energy. The [...] Read more.
This study explores the effect of steel ball size and proportion on mineral grinding characteristics using Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. Based on batch grinding kinetics, this paper analyzes the contact behavior during grinding, discussing particle breakage conditions and critical breakage energy. The results indicate that while increasing the size of the steel balls leads to higher collision energy, the collision probability decreases significantly; the opposite is true for smaller steel balls. Simulation results with different ball size combinations show that increasing the proportion of smaller balls does not significantly change the collision energy but greatly increases the collision probability, providing a basis for optimizing ball size distribution to improve grinding performance. Furthermore, appropriately increasing the proportion of smaller balls can reduce fluctuations in grinding energy consumption, thereby enhancing collision energy and collision probability while reducing energy costs. Liner wear results demonstrate that larger ball sizes increase liner wear, but different ball size combinations can effectively distribute the forces on the liner, reducing wear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition)
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22 pages, 10017 KiB  
Article
Research on an Accurate Simulation Modeling and Charge Motion Quantitative Evaluation Method for Ball Mill in Confined Space
by Zixin Yin, Zujin Jin and Tongqing Li
Minerals 2024, 14(6), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060604 - 12 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1865
Abstract
A ball mill is a type of complex grinding device. Having knowledge of its charge-load behavior is key to determining the operating conditions that provide the optimum mill throughput. An elaborate description of the charge movement inside the ball mill is essential. This [...] Read more.
A ball mill is a type of complex grinding device. Having knowledge of its charge-load behavior is key to determining the operating conditions that provide the optimum mill throughput. An elaborate description of the charge movement inside the ball mill is essential. This study focuses on a laboratory-scale ball mill and utilizes a discrete element simulation model to investigate the impact of mill speed and ball filling on charge-load behavior. Initially, the EDEM 2.7 (Engineering Discrete Element Method) software contact parameters were calibrated through heap-angle experiments. Subsequently, four charge-motion characteristic parameters were defined and analyzed based on Powell’s theory to understand the variations in charge-load behavior. This research proposes a theoretical calculation model for predicting power in a ball mill, highlighting the significance of the CoC (Center of Circulation) and CoM (Center of Mass) in reflecting changes in charge-load behavior. The theoretical model for mill-power prediction is effective and aligns well with the EDEM simulation and experimental results, providing valuable insights for optimizing large-scale ball mill structures and controlling charge motion during production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition)
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15 pages, 3239 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Grinding Efficiency of a Magnetite Second-Stage Mill through Ceramic Ball Optimization: From Laboratory to Industrial Applications
by Caibin Wu, Zhilong Chen, Ningning Liao, Chong Zeng, Yihan Wang and Jingkun Tian
Minerals 2024, 14(2), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020160 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2303
Abstract
Ceramic ball milling has demonstrated remarkable energy-saving efficiency in industrial applications. However, there is a pressing need to enhance the grinding efficiency for coarse particles. This paper introduces a novel method of combining media primarily using ceramic balls supplemented with an appropriate proportion [...] Read more.
Ceramic ball milling has demonstrated remarkable energy-saving efficiency in industrial applications. However, there is a pressing need to enhance the grinding efficiency for coarse particles. This paper introduces a novel method of combining media primarily using ceramic balls supplemented with an appropriate proportion of steel balls. Three grinding media approaches, including the utilization of steel balls, ceramic balls, and a hybrid combination, were investigated. Through an analysis of the grinding kinetics and the R–R particle size characteristic formulas, the study compares the breakage rate and particle size distribution changes for the three setups. The results indicate that employing binary media effectively improves the grinding efficiency for +0.3 mm coarse particles while maintaining the energy-saving advantages of ceramic ball milling. Simultaneously, the uniformity of the ground product is ensured. This proposed approach has been successfully validated in industrial applications, providing robust theoretical support for the expansion of ceramic ball milling applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experimental and Numerical Studies of Mineral Comminution: 3rd Edition)
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