GRINDING MEDIA FOR LUMWANA

The author is familiar with Scaws forged grinding media. They came to his rescue at Frontier mine in early 2008, as a stop gap measure. Their ball is made by roll forging and not hammer forging, as shown below from the prominent seam made by the forging roll.

Figure 1: Roll forged 125mm steel ball from SCAW, South Africa Roll forging does not allow the microstructure to transform into hardened steel; as a result, misshaped and dimpled balls ensue. The impact of lack of sphericity on attrition grinding is well known.

Figure 2: Dimpled roll forged mill ball, indicating a soft core 1

Because of the brittle nature of a cast ball, breakage in a SAG mill will be high, as shown below with a medium chrome cast ball, used in a 28 diameter SAG mill. In addition, a cast ball is more susceptible to induced fracturing as a result of the variations in extremes of pressures experienced in the toe and shoulder of the tumbling charge. Being devoid of a crystal structure, they tend to shatter along lines of imperfection. A forged ball, on the other hand, could accommodate such pressure variations more ably, as its molecular crystal structure can adjust accordingly.

Figure 3: Medium chrome cast mill balls fracturing in a 28 diameter SAG mill Over the years, the author has found that at least 50 drops of the forging hammer are required to make a decent forged mill ball. This allows the transformation from pearlitic to martensitic steel, Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 4: Photomicrograph show ing microstructure of pearlitic steel

Figure 5: Microstructure of martensitic steel, post forging. Alignment of grain structure is evidence of forging A good guide as to the suitability of forged grinding media for a SAG mill is to aim for Rockwell hardness in excess of 60, or a Brinell hardness exceeding 590. Should centre hardness be available, that figure must not be less than 65% of the corresponding surface hardness. Experience with a high quality hammer forged ball has shown a variation of 10grms on a sample of 20 balls, weighing 8.0kgs each, Figure 6.

Figure 6: Quality hammer forged 125mm mill balls, w eighing 8kgs 10g each 3

A reputable mill ball manufacturer will include such vital details, including an estimate of breakage and anticipated sphericity,in his specifications, Figure 7.

Figure 7: Specifications from a reputable mill ball manufacturer Regular inspection of the scats bunker every morning gives a good indication of the milling process inside the SAG mill and should comprise an essential facet of astute plant management. In addition, during a routine shut down, when the SAG mill is ground out, a critical analysis of the ball charge will give an indication of the quality of the forged balls. A preponderance of a single size, as shown in Figure 8, is indicative of a soft core. These two critical examinations are concomitant because the absence of broken balls could still indicate improper forging from soft cores.

Figure 8: SAG mill charge from Kansanshi Mine, indicative of a soft core 4

If a full spectrum of sizes is evident, plant management can be reassured that a quality forged ball is in use, Figure 9.

Figure 9: A quality forged mill ball, size and sphericity consistent Broken balls often plug the discharge grates of the SAG mill. Repeated hammering from the charge on plugged grates frequently leads to premature peening of the discharge grates, as shown at Minera San Christbal in Bolivia, Figure 10. This adversely impacts on slurry flow through the mill, and the ability to evacuate deleterious scats from the mill. In both cases, mill throughput is reduced.Peening is exacerbated as ore hardness decreases or slurry viscosity drops.

Figure 10: Peening of discharge grates at San Christbal Mine

Early symptoms of this phenomenon occurring is usually detected in the control room as: An increased in mill load A reduction of sound in the mill microphone, and in extreme cases;

As severe slurry spillage at the feed end of the mill. Seeing such spillage, operators instinctively reduce the density in the mill, thus compounding the problem even further. A dense, cushioned charge does not break effectively in a SAG mill! On the job sensitisation of metallurgists, and plant supervisors, on the recognition of some of these symptoms and causes could pay dividends in the longer term. Such training could include the intricacies of mil power draw and the relationship with the mills centre of gravity as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

Figure 11: Mill in normal operation

Figure 12: Overloaded mill

Table 1 shows a comprehensive list of mill balls manufacturers from around the world, covering cast and forged balls.

Table 1: Mill balls composition from manufacturers around the w orld

Ramoutar Seecharran Concentrator Manager Jabal Sayid Mine Saudi Arabia