Experiment No.
– 5: Studying the effect of residence time on reduction ratios for a grinding
operation in a Ball Mill
Objective: To study the reduction ratio of ball mill for a given sample and determine the effect of
residence time on the reduction ratio.
Theory:
Ball mill is a tumbling mill, where in size reduction occurs as a result of impact of the balls and by attrition.
The ball mill consists of a cylindrical shell rotating about its axis. Cylindrical mills are classified according
to the mode of product discharge taking place from the mill. Different parts of ball mills are:
1. Cylindrical shell: It is the rotating hollow cylinder partially filled with the balls. The ore to be
crushed is fed through the hollow trunnion at one end & the product is discharged through a similar
trunnion at the other end. The material of construction for this hollow shell is usually high strength
steel. The shell axis is either horizontal or at a small angle to the base. Large ball mills have a length
of 4 - 4.25 mts, diameter of 3mts. They use hardened steel balls of size varying between 25-125
mm.
2. Inner surface or liner: As the grinding process involves impact and attrition the interior of the
ball mills is lined with replaceable wear resisting liners. The liners are usually high manganese
alloy steels, stones or rubber. Least wear takes place on rubber lined interior. As the coefficient of
friction between balls and steel liner is specifically, large, the balls are carried up taken to a higher
height along the inner wall of the shell and dropped down onto the ore with a larger impact force
resulting in a better grinding.
3. Grinding media: The balls are usually cast steel unless otherwise stated. In some cases, flint balls
may be used. The diameter of the grinding media varies from 1-5inches. The optimum size of the
ball is proportional to the square root of the feed size. The ball and liner wear are usually in the
range of 450 – 1250, and 0.50 – 250 grams per ton of ore ground.
4. Drive: The mill is rotated by electric motors connected through reduction gear box - ring gear
arrangement.
Fig: Schematic Diagram of a Cylindrical Ball Mill
Ball Mill Operation: Ball mills may be continuous or batch type in which grinding media and the ore to
be ground are rotated around the axis of the mill. Due to the friction between the liners–balls & liners–ore
lumps, both the ore and balls are carried up along the inner wall of the shell nearly to the top from where
the grinding media fall down on the ore particles below creating a heavy impact on them. This usually
happens at the toe of the ball mill.
Fig: Schematic Diagram of Different forms of Deformation during Ball-powder Interaction
The energy expanded in the lifting up the grinding media is thus utilized in reducing the size of the particles
as the rotation of the mill is continued.
Fig: Schematic Diagram of Different Type of forces during Ball Mill Operation
Ball Mill Specifications:
Circumference of the ball mill = 105 cm
Diameter of the Ball Mill = 33.5 cm
Length of the ball Mill = 33 cm
Diameter of the spherical ball = 3 cm, x cm, y cm
No. of balls used = 24
Total weight of balls = 2.74 kg
RPM of ball mill = 75 rpm
Motor specifications:
H.P. = 1 / Single phase 220 volts
RPM – 1500 / Amp – 7
𝐹(80)
𝑅𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 =
𝑃(80)
Schematic diagram of Ball Mill
Procedure:
1. Crush the given material of size -22mm + 9mm of 2 kg weight.
2. Place the given material and also the required spherical balls inside the Ball Mill.
3. Then tighten all the nuts of the flanges in the Ball Mill.
4. Now run the Ball Mill for 10 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes collect the crushed sample from the Ball Mill by opening the discharge flange.
6. After collecting all the crushed material remove the balls from the material and take the weight of
the crushed material.
7. Now the material is put in sets of different mesh size for sieve analysis test.
8. After doing the sieve analysis test for 10 minutes, take a record of sieve analysis data.
9. Repeat the same process by feeding the product material of the previous cycle and follow steps 2
to steps 8 up to 3 cycles of time intervals of 10 minutes each.
Ball Mill Reduction Ratio:
Feed size
Sl. no. Mid size Mass retained % Mass
(mi)
-2.8mm + 2mm 2.4
-2mm + 1.4mm 1.7
-1.4mm + 1mm 1.2
-1mm + 0.71mm 0.855
-0.71mm + 0.5mm 0.605
-0.5mm + 0.25mm 0.375
-0.25mm + 0.09mm 0.17
-0.09mm 0.045
Product size
Sl. no. Mid size Mass retained % Mass
(di) (mi)
-2.8mm + 2mm 2.4
-2mm + 1.4mm 1.7
-1.4mm + 1mm 1.2
-1mm + 0.71mm 0.855
-0.71mm + 0.5mm 0.605
-0.5mm + 0.25mm 0.375
-0.25mm + 0.09mm 0.17
-0.09mm 0.045
Results & Discussions:
Conclusions:
Questions
1. How does the ratio of mill charge to grinding media affect the grinding process?
2. At what percentage of the critical speed, was the ball mill being operated at during the
experiments?
3. Comment on what you think were the dominating particle size reduction phenomenon
prevailing inside the ball mill, by considering the ground product you obtained in your
experiments.
