Modified Bond and Rittinger Energy-Size Relationships for Laboratory Fine Grinding

Abstract

Laboratory-scale fine grinding tests remain the most practical method of assessing material grindability and predicting energy requirements for industrial scale fine grinding mills. This review describes several different fine grinding laboratory tests and analyses 88 test results. It was found that the original Bond and Rittinger energy-size models do not reproduce the experimental results with sufficient accuracy for fine grinding applications. Both the total average model error and standard deviation for individual laboratory data set results were high; mostly in the range of 15 - 20%. However, modified Bond and Rittinger energy-size models using a variable grindability coefficient were much more accurate. The total average model error and standard deviation reduced to mostly below 5%. This increased accuracy indicates potential to improve predictions of industrial scale energy requirements from fine grinding laboratory-scale tests using modified Bond and Rittinger energy-size models.