Patented Mar.

28, 1950
2,502,198
UNITED STATES PATENT omcs
2,502,198
BALL MILL LINING ELEMENT AND
COMPOSITION FOR SAME
' Raymond C. Benner and John Charles McMullen,
Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignors to The Carbo
rundum Company, Niagara Falls, N. Y., a cor
poration of Delaware
No Drawing. Application August 28, 1942,
Serial No. 456,576
7 Claims. (Cl. 241-182)
1
This invention relates to ceramic abrasion-re since the material worn off the lining does not
sistant materials. I differ materially from the alumina beingground.
The object of the invention is to provide a When it is attempted to make lining elements
cast material of great hardness and wear resist cast from a fusion of 100% alumina or from any
ance for use particularly as the wearing elements of the ores high in alumina, as for example
of ball mills. In the case of the larger ball mills bauxite, gibbsite, diaspore, emery, corundum, or
such wearing elements are applied to the 'mill" laterite, they crack on annealing and are thus
in the form of lining elements. With small or of no value. It has been found that the addition
jar ball mills the complete container or Jar of glass to alumina and to aluminous ores in
may be made of the material of the present in H amounts less than 2% does not eliminate this
vention. fatal difficulty. When, however, glass in the
In ball mills, the material to be ?nely ground amount of 2% or over, up to and including 15%,
is placed in a container with grinding pebbles is added to the aluminous material and the mix
or balls, and the container revolved for a con ture fused and cast into the desired shape the
siderable length of time. The material is ?nely product is free from cracks, is hard and tough,
comminuted by the action of the balls, which and is free from holes.
cascade down the rising side of the container, When the glass content in the aluminous mate
grinding the material between them and between rial-glass mixture is increased beyond 15% the
them and the container lining. The wear on resulting cast product lacks workability." That
both the grinding balls and the ball mill lining 20 is, the casting cracks when self-annealed in a
is very severe, and consequently the materials heat insulating powder or very slowly in an oven,
used for them must be highly resistant to abra and shows shucking off of the corners. The wear
sion. Such materials must also be tough and resistance of such fused cast product even if it
highly resistant to chipping upon impact. could be made without cracks is too low to dis
Porcelain mill liners, which are conventionally 25 play any marked advantages over porcelain.
used, leave much to be desired as to their wearing Broadly, the fused cast products falling within
qualities. The porcelain consists of a fired mix the present invention consist of a predominant
ture of ?nely ground silica, feldspar, and clay amount of A1203, as such, with smaller amounts
or clays, which may contain small percentages of other oxides derived from the aluminous start
of auxiliary ?uxes such as talc or limestone. 30 ing material and from the 245% glass employed
Since porcelain consists of bonded particles or in the fusion. The A1203 content of products
granules, it is subject to the breaking out of within this invention lies between approximately
particles by disruption of the bond between them 54 and 98%.
as a result of the abrasive impact of the pebbles As speci?c examples, given for illustrative pur
and the charge. With the porcelain lining ele 35 poses only, the following mixtures for making
ments of ordinary thickness a grinding life of fused cast ball mill lining elements falling within
500 hours when the mill is wet grinding alumina the present invention are given:
powder is considered good. The material of the
:present invention, however, when used as ball Example I
mill linings wears at a rate less than one seventh 40 Calcined Arkansas bauxite, whose components
as fast as porcelain when grinding the same ma lie within the following ranges, is employed:
terial. In addition its cost of manufacture is not
high, and being free from voids, it retains its use Percent
fulness even when worn down a material amount TiO2 _________________________________ __ 3-4

of its initial thickness. 45 SiOz _________________________________ __ 7-11

sist of extremely hard solid cast masses of crystal A1203 _____________________________ __ Balance
line' alumina containing a minor percentage of
glass. Since the lining material is fused and To the comminuted bauxite is added crushed
cast, as distinguished from being bonded and 50 soda-lime glass whose components lie within the
sintered, it is highly resistant to chipping. Its following range:
surfaces are dense, unyielding, and impermeable, _ Percent
thus providing an ideal surface for the grinding CaO ______________________________ __ 5-11
pebbles to work against and one easy to clean NazO _____________________________ .._ 9-20
when changing the mill from a batch of material 55 SiOz ______________________________ __ 69-75
of one type to that of another type. Because Other metal oxides (the metals consist
the lining consists predominantly of alumina, it ing predominantly of Fe, Al, Mg, Mn,
is particularly suitable for grinding alumina and Ba) ________________________ __ 1- 8.15
 9,602,198
3 4
' The glass composes, as indicated above from Per cent
2 to 15% by weight of the bauxite-glass mixture. A120: 79.92-92.17
The composition of the resulting bauxite-soda 8102 5.184622
lime glass mixture therefore lies within the fol F6203 ___________________________ __ .58- .81
lowing limits: NarO .08- .62
Per cent B203 ___________________________ __ .24- 1.80
B10: 7.97-2055 T10: .. .53- .61
CaO - 0.10- 1.65 K20 and MgO, traces.
Nazo 0.18- 3.00
T10: 2.94- 8.40 10 The source of alumina is not confined to baux
FeaOr 5.88-13.60 ite or gibbsite, as set out in the above three ex
Other metal oxides (the metals con amples; it may be diaspore, laterite, corunduin,
sisting predominantly of Mg, Mn, or emery. Furthermore, pure alumina may be
Ba, etc.) _______________________ .... .02- 1.28 employed wholly or partially in the aluminous
Also: Balance material-glass mixture.
Example I! Example IV
Borosilicate types of glass in the same amounts Pure alumina was employed with the same
may be employed in the mixture instead of the soda-lime glass used in Example I, the glass
soda-lime glass described above. . To the com composing from 2 to 15% of the mixture. The -'
minuted bauxite is added, in this alternative pro composition of the resulting alumina-glass mix
cedure, crushed borosilicate glass whose compo ture is thus as follows:
nents lie within the following range: Per cent
Per cent A120: 1 _ 85 ~98
B10: . _-_ 10-20
25 CaO 0.10- 1.65
119.20 _ 10-20 No.20 0.18- 3.00
810: ___- 60-80 S10: l.38-11.2
Other metal oxides (the metals consisting Other metal oxides (the metals con
predominantly of Fe, Al, Mg, and Ba)- 1- 7.5 sisting predominantly of Fe, Mg, ,
30 -Mn, Ba, etc.) _________________ _- .02- 1.28
The borosilicate glass composes, as indicated
above, from 2 to 15% by weight of bauxite-glass The aluminous material-glass mixture may be
mixture. fused in various ways. a convenient method is to
The composition of the resulting bauxite-glass employ an electric furnace of the submerged arc
mixture therefore lies with the following limits: type such as that shown and described in United
States Patent No. 929,517, to F. J. Tone. The
Per cent operation of the furnace is similar to that fol
B10: -. 13.05-21.35 lowed in the production of synthetic alumina
New .20- 3.00 abrasives.
8:03 _ .20- 3.00 40 The furnace consists of a water cooled iron
T1011 2.94- 3.40 shell having no other lining than that built up .
Fem: 53843.60 by the material being fused as it is fed into the
Other metal oxides (the metals con furnace. Fusion is effected initiallylby the heat
sisting predominantly of Mg, Mn, from the carbon are between two or more car
and Ba) _______________________ __ .02- 1.125 bon or graphite electrodes inserted in the iron,
Balance A1203. shell, but after a bath of molten material is '
Example III formed, the resistance of this material to the
Low expansion glasses such as the borosilicate passage of electric current is used to supply heat.
glass known by the trade-name "Pyrex" may be 50 The material is gradually fed in and the elec
used in the aluminous material-glass mixture in trodes raised as the fused mass is built up.
stead of the glasses given in Examples I and II. When the material has arrived at the proper
A typical glass of this type analyzes: temperature and the correct degree of ?uidity.
, Per cent
the casting is made by pouring the molten ma
B10: - 80.75
terial into molds of the desired shape and size.
Anon-Fete; 2.20 55 The furnace may be adapted either for tapping
the molten material out through its side or for '
CaO . .30
NazO 4.1 tilting so as to pour over a lip. The molds may
E20 .10 be of granular refractory material bonded with
B20: \ 12.00
a core binder such as is commonly used in foun
60 dry practice, or may be made of slabs of pre
Such glass may be added to aluminous mate b'urned refractory, or- of a suitable metal, or of
rial such as gibbsite, the glass constituting from graphite. The molded articles should be of the
3 to 15% by weight of the mixture. proper shape to form a section of the pebble mill
A typical calcined gibbsite which may be em lining, and the size should be as large as is con
ployed in the mixture analyzes: 65 venient for a bricklayer to handle in lining the
Per cent mill.
A120: 94.10 If desired, the molds may be preheated, and
810: 4.20 may be insulated to prevent too rapid loss of
Feaoa - .66 heat by embedding them in a molding ?ask in
M30 .05 70 which they are surrounded by sand or other heat
T10: .62 insulating material. The molds should be pro
CaO .32 vided with risers of amplesize to permit com
plete ?lling of the mold without interference by
The composition of the resulting gibbsite-glass material freezing in the headers. Moreover, the
mixture in this particular instance is as follows: 75 headers should be of sufficient size to allow for
 2,502,198
5
the contraction of the molten material as it so The same defects are present in the fused cast
lidi?es in the molds. If the riser is made wedged product resulting from the addition of both NazO
shaped with its minimum section immediately as such within the limits .10-1.65% to aluminous
adjoining the molds, removal of the excess ma material, and fusing and casting the mixture.
terial constituting a header is facilitated. After This product is likewise of good mechanical
a mold is ?lled, it is moved away and additional strength and hardness, but contains numerous
molds ?lled successively. voids, especially near its surfaces. Thesame is
The molded sections may be left in the mold true of the product when B203 alone is added to
for heat treatment or may be taken from the. the aluminous material in an amount equal to
molds shortly after the outer walls of the casting 10 that contained in the borosilicate glass used in
have solidi?ed. They are then carefully cooled Example II, namely, from .20 to 3.00%, when
by any of the methods well-known in the art; from .20 to 3.00% B203 and from .20 to 3.00%
and after they are cool any objectionable re NazO are added to the aluminous material, and
mainder of the header or other minor roughness when from .24 to 1.80% 13203 and from .08 to .62%
is removed by chipping or grinding. NazO are added singly or together to the gibbsite
This method of casting forms no part of the of Example III.
present invention, but is recited to complete the It is believed that the voids resulting from the
disclosure of .the invention and to explain what introduction of B203, CaO, or NazO into the alu-_
is meant by the term cast in this speci?cation minous material to be fused occur as a result of
and in the claims. When cast blocks, cast lining Y gas generated by a reaction between the B202,
elements and the like are here spoken of, it is to CaO, or NazO and the aluminous material, or as
be understood that they are cast from a molten a result of fusion of the B203, CaO, or NazO.
mass. On the other hand, the CaO and NazO have al
The blocks, after being cast and dressed, are ready been fused, with silica, in the formation of
laid in the form of a lining in the shell of the soda-lime glass, B203 and NazO have already been
pebble mill, using as small an amount of cement added in the formation of borosilicate glass; the
ing material to hold them in place as practicable, addition of them within the limits speci?ed to
and are thereafter ready for immediate service. aluminous material when they are incorporated
On examination of a fractured surface of the as ingredients in glass appears to give rise to no
fused cast material of the present invention it is _ evolution of gas additional to that given off by
found that the structure is dense and that the the fusion of the aluminous material by itself.
fracture-crystals are hackly to almost conchoidal. The fused cast product resulting from the addi
The material at each face of the cast block or tion of glass to aluminous material has few if
segment and for a material distance inwardly any voids therein, and such few extremely small
from the face is inthe form of elongated crystals voids that occasionally do occur therein are usu
with the major axis approximately perpendicular ally well in the interior of the casting. Castings
to the face. Examination of a thin section of made in accordance with the present invention
such material reveals that the microstructure ~ possess the properties, as has been pointed out
consists of areas containing interlocking oriented above, of good mechanical strength and hardness,
skeletal alpha alumina crystals with their inter- _ in addition to substantial freedom from voids
stices ?lled with an opaque ground mass. The and the ability to be cooled down from casting
skeletal crystals are arranged in thin columns temperature and annealed without developing
whose direction is that of the C axis of corundum cracks. ,
crystals. Many of the alumina skeletal crystals Wear tests conducted on the fused cast mate
are bounded with opaque needle-like crystals of rial of the present invention demonstrate the
rutile. In some cases the columns are roughly material advantage to be derived from its use as
parallel, in others there is an interweaving giving ball mill lining elements. In a ball mill of com
almost a ?bre structure. The general structure mercial size ten fused mill lining segments con
may be described as feather-like. taining 95% bauxite and 5% soda-lime glass, fall
It has been found that the addition of soda, Y ing within the type of soda-lime glass above set
NazO, as such, alone to the aluminous material out as useful within the scope of this invention,
in an amount equal to that contained in the soda were installed. Segments of other compositions
lime glass addition of 245%, that is, from tested at the same time completed the mill lining.
.18-3.00% NazO, does not yield a commercial Among the segments made of such other com
1y usable product. Whereas the mechanical positions were segments of a high grade porce~
strength of the cast products resulting from such lain, which is conventionally employed as a ball
addition of NazO alone is satisfactory, and the mill lining. The segments of each different mix
hardness is also good, the product contains nu or composition were staggered in the mill to give
merous holes, mainly at or near its surfaces. uniform distribution to each mix in the mill.
After a short period of use as a lining element 60 The mill employed was equipped with a con
the surface becomes rough and pitted, tends to tinuous axle, thus allowing measurements to be
break off and wear more rapidly, and thus is un taken from the axle to the exposed face of the
suitable. _ segment. The mill was run for 334 hours with a
It has also been found that the addition of charge of wet alumina powder, designated K5
lime, CaO, as such, alone to the aluminous mate Aloxite, employing natural ?int pebbles or balls
rial in an amount equal to that contained in the as the grinding medium. The following table
soda-lime glass addition of 245% , that is, .10-1.65 gives the results of such test:
CaO, does not yield a commercially usable prod
uct. The cast product obtained by such addition , .

afxgiggg
.

Ratio of wear
of lime alone appears similar to that described 70 Material wet grinding lesftfqgienm
above as resulting from the addition of soda alone. of K5 Aloxitc P r i *
Whereas mechanical strength and hardness of the
product resulting from the addition of lime alone High grade porcelain ________________ . .
Fused cast mixture of 95% bauxite
n. 538 1.0

are good, the product contains numerous holes Arkansas, 5% soda-lime glass ______ .. 0. 134 v 4. 0
near its surfaces.
 moans
8
A mill employed in regular production wet results in material savings in cost due to its in
grinding of alumina powder was completely lined creased length of life in service.
with fused castlining blocks 2% inches thick and As has been stated previously, the material of
_1 containing 90% Arkansas bauxite and. 10% soda the. present invention is not limited to use as
lime glass of a type falling within the limits here ball mill lining elements. In the case of the
tofore de?ned. After 1110 hours of such grind smaller or iar" ball mills the entire container
ing, employing ?int grinding pebbles as the grind or Jar may be made by casting. Such jar mill
ing medium, the wear in lining thickness amount made of the material of the present invention
edto0.6'7 inch. ~ exhibits the same desirable properties as do the
1;:3Lipings of the same thickness, but made of 10 lining elements for the larger ball mills, that is,
high grade porcelain, have been regularly em they are hard, tough, and extremely resistant to
ployed in ball mills of the same size for grind the wear imposed on them during grinding. The
ing'the same material under identical conditions. jar mill container may be made, for example,
Such porcelain linings have been considered as by the method set out in the Benner et al. patent,
giving good service if they lasted from 500 to 600 vNo. 2,164,635, for the casting of hollow refractory
hours before completely wearing out. It can shapes.
thus be seen that in a comparable period of time It is believed that the great length of life of
the lining of the present invention wore less than the ball mill lining of the present invention is
1/1 of their original thickness. due in part at least to the fact that a major
These results demonstrate strikingly the ad 20 portion of the crystals liewith their major axes
vantage to be derived from the use of the ma perpendicular to the wearing surface of the
terial of the present invention as a ball mill lin blocks. Hence as the working face becomes
ing. Whereas the speci?c mixture 95% bauxite eroded away there is continuously presented a
5% soda-lime glass was employed in the test and working face of the same character as possessed
the mixture 90 % bauxite-10% soda-lime glass was 25 by the block in its initial condition.
employed in the mill for production grinding, it Having thus fully disclosed the invention, we
is to be understood that the present invention claim:
is not con?ned to such speci?c examples but lies 1. A wearing portion for a ball mill comprising
within the limits before set out. a dense, hard, wear-resistant fused casting, said
An accurate test as to whether or not a ma 30 casting compriisng $102 from 8.05 to 21.35%,
terial is suitable for use as a ball mill lining is NazO from .20 to 3.00%, B203 from .20 to 3.00%,
furnished by the sand blast penetration test. TiOa from 2.94. to 3.40%, FezOa from 5.88 to
Such test subjects a specimen under ?xed con 13.60% and other metal oxides from .02 to 1.125%,
ditions of air pressure, jet size, distance of speci said last named metals consisting predominantly
men surface from the jet, type and amount of 35 of Mg, Mn, and Ba, the balance of the compo
abrasive particles, and length of time that the sition being alumina.
specimen is subjected to the blast, to the action 2. A ball mill having a lining element com~
of abrasive particles borne by air under high prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast
pressure against the specimen. The depth of ing substantially free from voids and cracks, said
penetration into the specimen is an accurate test 40 casting comprising crystalline A1203, as such, in
of its hardness and resistance to abrasion, both amounts from approximately 54% to 98% and
or which are required to be high in satisfactory a glassy matrix. \
ball mill linings. 3. A ball mill having a lining element com
The following table gives the results of sand prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast
blast penetration tests conducted on the same ing substantially free from voids and cracks, said
kind of high grade porcelain lining elements em casting comprising crystalline A1203, as such, in
ployed in the ball mill test, above, and various amounts from approximately 54% to 98% and
lining segments made of compositions within the a glassy matrix, said element having a wear re=
scope of the present invention. All specimens sistance, when exposed to penetration by a sand
of aluminous material glass mixtures given be 50 blast, at least three times as great as the wear
low were fused and cast. resistance of high grade porcelain lining elements
when exposed to a sand blast of the same
intensity. ,
Sand blast Ratio of re 4. A ball mill having a lining element com
_ penetration sistanee to
Material test-peue- sand blast prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast
tration in to that of ing substantially free from voids and cracks, said
inches porcelain
casting comprising crystalline A1203, as such, in
High ade porcelain ________________ .. 0.0270 1 amounts from approximately 54% to 98% and
l. 98 a bauxite, 2% soda-lime glass"... 0.0070 3.9 a glassy matrix, said A1203 being in the form of
2. 98 a bauxite, 2% Pyrex" glass..- .004 6. 75
3. 95% bauxite, 57 soda-lime glass_____ 0.0050 5.4 > 60 elongated crystals with the majority of the crys.
4. 95% alumina, 5 0 soda-lime glass... .001 27 tals having their major axes oriented perpen
5. 95% bauxite 5% Pyrex" glass ___. .005 5.4
6. 90% bauxite, 107 soda-lime glass... 0.0072 3. 7 dicular to the wearing surface of the element.
7. 907 bauxite, l0 ,, borosilicate glass 0.0075 3.6 5. A ball mill having a lining element com
8. 90 a alumina, 10% soda-lime glass. .002 13.5
9. 85% bauxite, 15% soda-lime glass..- 0.0090 3.0 - prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast
05 ing substantially free from voids and cracks, said
casting comprising 85% to 98% crystalline alu
It is thus apparent that all compositions within mina, as such, and 2 to 15% glass.
the range limits disclosed in the present inven 6. A ball mill having a lining element com
tion display marked advantages as to increased prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast~
wear resistance over porcelain, which is con 70 ing-substantially free from voids and cracks, said
sidered satisfactory by the art for use as ball casting comprising 85% to 98% crystalline alu
mill linings. Use of the material of the present mina, as such, and 2 to 15% glass, said element
invention, the ingredients'oi' which are cheap, having a wear resistance, when exposed to pene
readily available, and economically processed to tration by a sand blast, at least three times as
form the fused cast product. for such Purpose 75 great as the wear resistance of high grade porces
 2,502,198
9 10
lain lining elements when exposed to a sand blast Number Name Date
of the same intensity. 954,766 Saunders _________ __ Apr. 12, 1910
7. A ball mill having a lining element com 1,199,042 Alien ____________ __ Sept. 26, 1916
prising a dense, hard, wear-resistant, fused cast 1,966,406 Hauman _________ __ July 10, 1934
ing substantially free from voids and cracks, said 1,966,407 Hauman _________ __ July 10, 1934
casting comprising 85% to 98% crystalline A1203, 1,966,408 Hauman _________ __ July 10, 1934
as such, and 2 to 15% glass, said A120: being in 2,040,051 Klinger ___________ __ May 5, 1936
the form of elongated crystals with the majority 2,044,817 Schroeder _______ __ June 23, 1936
' of the crystals having their major axes oriented 2,079,101 Benner et al _______ _.. May 4, 1937
perpendicular to the wearing surface of the 10 2,154,153 Easter et a1 _______ __ Apr, 11, 1939
element. -
' 2,154,318 Benner et a1 ______ __ Apr. 11, 1939
RAYMOND C. BENNER. 2,195,950 7 Wood _____________ __ Apr. 2, 1940
JOHN CHARLES McMULLEN. 2,196,075 Logan et a1. _______ __ Apr. 2, 1940
REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS
The following references are of record in the Number Country Date
?le of this patent: 497,253 Great Britain ____ __ Dec. 15, 1938
UNITED STATES PATENTS
OTHER REFERENCES
I Number Name Date
44,973 Rands ____________ __ Nov. 8, 1864 Searle, Refractory Materials, 2nd edition, 1924,
page 174. a
227.498 Davis ____________ __ May 11, 1880