Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook

HeidelbergCement Group
Guidance Paper
Edition: 2
Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Valid as of: 2013-07-11

Expert Group
Process owner:
Grinding
Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook

HeidelbergCement Group
Guidance Paper
Edition: 2

Expert Group
Process owner:
Grinding
Created by: Reviewed by:

Approved by:
Girish Pandey Volker Schneider
Ernest Jelito
(Date / Signature)
(Date / Signature) (Date / Signature)
Contents
1. Objectives and Scope ...................................................................... 3

2. Terms and Definitions...................................................................... 3
3. Ball Mill Design ................................................................................. 3
3.1. Mill design ........................................................................................................ 3
3.2. Percent loading of mill ..................................................................................... 4
3.3. Ball mill critical speed ...................................................................................... 5
3.4. Retention time .................................................................................................. 5
3.5. Mill throughput assessment ............................................................................. 6
3.6. Required air velocities for mill ventilation ........................................................ 6
3.7. Optimum filling ratio ......................................................................................... 6
3.8. Mill feed material specifications ....................................................................... 6
4. Ball Charge and Mill Internals Evaluation ...................................... 7
4.1. Largest ball diameter ....................................................................................... 7
4.2. Grinding Balls Data .......................................................................................... 8
4.3. Wear rates estimation: ..................................................................................... 9
4.4. Mill diaphragms .............................................................................................. 11
4.5. Mill internal inspection ................................................................................... 11
4.6. Ball charge sorting ......................................................................................... 12
5. Managing mill liners ....................................................................... 12
5.1. When to exchange liners ............................................................................... 12
5.2. Indications of liner wear ................................................................................. 13
5.3. Measure the liner profile ................................................................................ 13
6. Ball Charge Design ........................................................................ 14
6.1. Recommended volume loading FM ............................................................... 14
6.2. Typical ball charge design for new mills ........................................................ 14
6.3. Ball charge design example - Slegten model ................................................ 15
6.4. Fineness targets in mills: ............................................................................... 16
7. Grinding Laws ................................................................................ 17
7.1. Absorbed power of mill .................................................................................. 17
7.2. Charles, Bond, Kick & Rittinger laws ............................................................. 18
8. Grindability Measurement ............................................................. 19
8.1. Bond test ........................................................................................................ 19
8.2. Hardgrove test ............................................................................................... 20
HeidelbergCement Group Guidance Paper Edition: 2
9. Mill Performance Benchmarking .................................................. 21

9.1. Benchmarking ball mills with Bond’s Wi ........................................................ 21
10. Other Data ....................................................................................... 22
10.1. Sieve sizes ..................................................................................................... 22
10.2. Bulk densities ................................................................................................. 23
10.3. Residue conversion chart .............................................................................. 24
1. Objectives and Scope

The objective of this document is to present a concise information related to Ball mill grinding
process which could be helpful to the plant process engineers and those working in projects and
other technical areas. The guideline covers Ball mill general design aspects including mill
internals, ball charge design and useful tips in assessing the mill performance. Project
engineers can find valuable information related to Ball mill design. Some basic theory on
Grinding laws and grindability measurement tests are also explained.
2. Terms and Definitions
L/D Length to diameter ratio

Wi Ball mill Bond’s grindability index
HGI Hardgrove grindability index
h/d BM free height to effective mill diameter
SA Specific surface area
FM Finish mill
RM Raw mill
3. Ball Mill Design
3.1. Mill design

General L/D ratios
 Raw mills: 1.5 < L/D < 3.2
 Finish / cement mills: 2.5 < L/D < 3.0
Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 3 of 26

 The optimum specific energy and the

highest output for cement grinding is
reached with an L/D ratio of 2,5 to 3.
 Graph shows three curves at degree

of filling of 15, 20 and 25%
Length of first Compartments relative to total mill length (guidelines only for two compartment
mills)
 Raw mills: First compartment length equals 35 – 45% of total mill effective grinding
length.
 Cement mill: First compartment length equals 30 – 35% of total mill effective grinding
length.
 When L/D>1.5, classifying liners may be used in 2nd compartment.
 Lower the L/D, higher the circulating load needs to be (see below).
3.2. Percent loading of mill

2 0.9
r 2  r sin  h  r  h/d
 % volume load = 360 0.8

r 2
where: 0.7
 r is the radius
 h is the free height 0.6
 d is mill effective diameter
hr 0.5 0 10 20 30 40 50%
  (degrees) = arccos
r % volume load
Rules of thumb
 % vol. Load = 111.87 – 123.98 (h/d), 25 – 50%: error + 0.6%.
 The estimated ball charge expansion due to material in the compartment is about 2%
absolute.
 Another method (quick but not accurate) consists in counting the number of visible shell
liner plates (n) and to divide by the total number of shell liner plates per circumference
(N): Angle  = (n/N) x 360.
Values of angle h/d ratio in relation to the ball load (% filling degree)

Ball load (%) h/d n/N Ball load (%) h/d n/N
20 .7459 .667 31 .6516
21 .737 32 .6434 .590
22 .7281 .653 33 .6352
23 .7193 34 .627 .580
24 .7106 .639 35 .6189
25 .702 36 .6109 .569
26 .6926 .625 37 .6028
27 .685 38 .5948 .558
28 .6765 .611 39 .5868
29 .6682 40 .5789 .549
30 .6598 .601 41 .5709
42 .563 .539
3.3. Ball mill critical speed

G 2 r
C  C  m 2 r 
g
m
P where:
r
 G = Weight of grinding ball, kg
G   = angular velocity of mill tube, rad/sec
(πDn/60)
 n = rev per minute, rpm
 C = centrifugal force, kg
 P  G * sin 
(P is the resulting force of gravity)
 To maintain the ball in this position on the mill wall,
it is necessary that C  P.
602 g 42.3
 Mill critical speed: nc = = where D is effective diameter in meters
4 2 r D
% Critical speed:
 Practically, mill speed between 68 and 82% of critical speed.
 % critical speed is the mill actual speed in RPM divided by nc.
Example:
For a 3.98 diameter meter mill with rotational speed of 15.6 rpm, nc = 21.2, % and
critical speed = 73.6 %.
3.4. Retention time

Rules of thumb:
 Retention time in mill: Open circuits: ~ 12 min
Closed circuits: ~ 5 min

 Feed is pushing the material through the mill, If mill throughput increases: retention
time decreases
 Retention time will also depend on L/D ratio of mill
Fluoroscein Tracer test:
 2g/t of mill production. Prepare the fluoroscein with 800-ml alcohol and impregnate 2 kg
of mill feed material (in a plastic bag).
 Put the material at mill inlet, start the time and sample every 30 s during 30 min. (others
use salt).
3.5. Mill throughput assessment

 Using elevator power and after calibrating we have:
kW  kW0 . 3600 . Where:
A  A = Material flow, t/h
9,81. H  kW = Actual elevator power
 kW0 = Elevator power empty
  = Elevator drive efficiency
 H = Inter axis elevator height, m
3.6. Required air velocities for mill ventilation

Rules of thumb
 Recommended 1.0-1.5 m/s above the ball charge:
- inside the trunnion: 22-25 m/s.
- partitions: 8-14 m/s (<20 m/s).
- hood: <5 m/s to prevent dust from being sucked up (dust pick-up is proportional to
speed2).
- dropout box: <2 m/s.
 0.3-0.5 Nm3/kg cement
0.6-0.8 Nm3/kg raw mix (depending upon drying needs)
 Operating temperature should be at least 25°C higher then dew point temperature.
 False air at mill outlet is usually >20%. Consider high false air volume in heat balance
and in mill ventilation design.
3.7. Optimum filling ratio

 U= (volume of powder in the mill)/ (volume of voids in the charge): between 60% and
110%, optimum around 90%.
 In practical terms, material level should equal ball level in the first compartment
 In practical terms, material level should be higher than ball level in the second
compartment
 The expansion of the ball charge due to the material in between should not exceed 3%
in an optimised mill (measure the ball charge level of the empty and the filled mill)
 The material filling in the first compartment can be adjusted with flow control devices in
modern diaphragms e.g. with scoops, flaps.
3.8. Mill feed material specifications

 Raw mill feed size
- Raw material feed size: 95% passing 30 mm; 100 % passing 50 mm
- Uniform feed size ensures stable mill operation

 Raw mill max fresh feed moisture

- < 3% with hot gas
- < 8% with drying chamber prior to the first chamber
- High moisture results in negative handling (condensation and clogging)
 Cement mill feed size
- Clinker and additives feed sizes: 95% passing 25 mm; 100 % passing 50 mm
- Uniform feed size ensures stable mill operation
 Cement mill max fresh feed moisture (depends on clinker temperature 70-120 ºC)
- < 2% for open circuit mills
- < 4% for closed circuit mills (with hot gas)
- < 8% for closed circuit with drying chamber and hot gas
- High moisture results in coating and poor cement quality
 Cement temperature
- 90 – 110 °C at mill outlet
- < 70 °C in silos
- Has influence on Gypsum dehydration, strengths and workability
4. Ball Charge and Mill Internals Evaluation
4.1. Largest ball diameter

Bond Formula
-
K is a constant (350 for a dry mill open or close
d Wi 
 d KMAX  20.17 20 .3 circuit, 300 for wet)
K . Du -  is the specific mass of material (g/cm3)
where: - Wi is the Bond work index (kWh/t)
- d KMAX is the largest ball diameter - Du is the mill inside diameter (m)
(mm) -  is the ratio between the actual / critical speed
- d 20 is the sieve size (µ) with 20% (%)
retained
Quick evaluation
 For clinker: 100
Optimum Ball Diameter (mm)
B  24 d 80
(Other formula exist that result in value
differences of  5%)
- B = ball dimension (mm)
- d 80 is the sieve with 80% passing
10
.1 1 10 100
Clinker Size d80
Grinding Ball vs Clinker Size

Rowland Formula
d 80   .Wi 

 B  25.4 . d 80 is the sieve with 80% passing
K  100 .  . 3.281 Du 


4.2. Grinding Balls Data
Grinding Ball dimensions
Number of Weight of 1 Specific

Diameter Weight Surface 3
2 balls per metric m of balls surface
mm inch (g) (cm ) 2
tons (kg) (m / mt)
100.00 ± 4" 4,001.153 314.159 250 4560 7.854
90.00 ±3½" 2,916.841 254.469 343 4590 8.728
80.00 2,048.590 201.062 488 4620 9.812
77.00 ±3½" 1,826.658 186.265 548 10.207
70.00 1,372.396 153.938 729 4640 11.222
64.00 ±2½" 1,048.878 128.680 954 12.276
60.00 864.249 113.097 1,157 4660 13.085
50.00 ±2" 500.144 78.540 2,000 4708 15,708
40.00 256.074 50.265 3,905 4760 19.628
38.00 ±1½" 219.551 45.365 4,555 20.664
35.00 171.549 38.485 5,830 22.437
31.75 ±1¼" 128.061 31.669 7,809 24.730
30.00 108.031 28.274 9,257 4850 26.173
25.00 ±1" 62.518 19.635 15,996 4894 31.408
23.00 48.682 16.619 20,542 34.139
22.22 =7/8" 43.895 15.511 22,782 35.337

20.00 ±3/4" 32.009 12.566 31,242 4948 39.259
17.00 ±5.8" 19.658 9.079 50,870 4989 46.185
(Unit weight and specific surface of MAGOTTEAUX grinding media)
Quick calculation:
 Ball diameter (mm) = 3 250 P (P = ball weight in g)
785 2
 Specific surface of balls of diameter = m / mt (d = diameter in mm)
d
4.3. Wear rates estimation:

There are two main definitions for wear rate.
 Gross wear rate – total amount of media that is lost from one sort to the next, divided by
the cement production or the main drive power consumption. This includes media that
exits the mill during operation (e.g. – with the product or as spitzers), and removed from
the mill as scrap or undersized media during the sorting operation. This value is useful
for estimating the total amount of media needed from one ball sorting to the next for the
purpose of stock management.
 Net wear rate – the total amount of media lost, excluding the sorting process, divided by
cement production or main drive power consumption. This would only include media
leaving the mill as part of the product or captured as spitzers. This is useful for
estimating the amount of top-off media needed.
 To account for changes in fineness or product type percentages, the total production can
be standardized to a specific blaine.
Example of Wear Rate Calculations
Scraps S
= 1 [mt]
Cement Production
CP = 700,000 [mt]
Wear
compensation
WC = 24 [mt] Undersized Good balls
balls GB = 71 [mt]
UB = 3 [mt]
Initial charge
IC = 80 [mt] Delta charge
from IC to Sorted
DC = 5 [mt]
100.00

IC+WC-GB
 Gross Wear Rate:g/mT= X 1,000,000
CP
80+24-71
= X 1,000,000 = 47.1 g/mT
700,000
Alternate Equation,
WC+DC+UB+S X 1,000,000
CP
24+5+3+1
= X 1,000,000 = 47.1 g/mT
700,000
IC+WC-GB-UB-S
 Net Wear Rate: g/mT = X 1,000,000
CP
80+24-71-3-1
= X 1,000,000 = 41.4 g/mT
700,000
Alternate Equation,
WC+DC X 1,000,000
CP
24+5
= X 1,000,000 = 41.4 g/mT
700,000
In the 1st compartment the wear rate is correlated with the average ball weight (positive
correlation), whereas in the 2nd compartment it is correlated with the ball charge surface area
(positive correlation as well). Below are general guidelines for raw as well as cement grinding
net wear rates:
Raw grinding
 Raw mix with free silica (quartz) content <5%: 30-60 g/t
 Raw mix with free silica (quartz) content >5%: 50-100 g/t
Cement (typical)
 CEM I, clinker >90%, 300 m2/kg : 30-60 g/t
 CEM I, clinker >90%, 450 m2/kg: 60-100 g/t
 CEM III, slag 70%, 300 m2/kg: 60-120 g/t
 CEM III, slag 70%, 450 m2/kg: 120-200 g/t
 Typical suppliers guarantee <40 g/t for CEM I

It is better to use wear in terms of g/kWh (mill main drive power):
a) 1.0 g/kWh for all conventional 2 chamber close circuit cement mills.
b) 1.2 g/kWh for all conventional 2 chamber open circuit mills.
c) 0.8 g/kWh for a grinding ball mill following a pre grinder (roller press or vertical mill) provided
the pre-ground clinker fed to the ball mill has a fineness of approx.1200 to 1500 Blaine.
Bulk density for ball load

(Coarse to medium ball size distribution):
 Chamber 1: 4.4 – 4.5 t/m3
 Chamber 2: 4.6 – 4.7 t/m3
 Single Chamber mill: 4.5 – 4.6 t/m3
4.4. Mill diaphragms
 Total slot area: 10 to 20 cm²/tph production:
Slot Size Central Part Discharge Part*

FM 7 mm  1 mm 9 mm  1 mm
RM 10 mm  1 mm 12 mm  1 mm
*Max opening: ½ min ball size
4.5. Mill internal inspection

List of observations during Ball mill on stop inspection
Ball Charge Remarks – sizes, shape,

Shell Liner Thickness
contamination, breakages
1
Shell Liner Lifter Thickness Ball Coating
2
Shell Liner Remarks – crack, gaps…. Ball Classification
Inlet Head Liner Thickness Discharge Grate Slot Size-Average
Inlet Head Liner Remarks Discharge Grate Slot Size-Maximum
Inlet Opening Remarks Discharge Grate Metal Thickness – gaps etc.
Height Liner, to Balls – Average Discharge Grate Percent Blinded
Width Across Balls – Average Discharge/Centre Screen Percent Blinded
Calculated Percent Fill – mill ran out Height of Material relative to media
Build up on water injection lance Calculated Percent Fill – mill crash stopped

Central ventillation screens diameter and size

Presence of material nibs
of openings
Diaphragm slot dimensions, % blockage and Condition of scoops or lifters in partition
thickness of grate plates diaphragm
1
If mill is ground out, the coating may increase since the grinding aid / water spray normally cuts off with
the feed.
2
If mill is ground out, classification of media may be different than if the mill is crash stopped
Indicators and targets:
 Material filling level

Ch 1 - Larger balls are partly visible in the material bed
Ch 2 - just slightly above the media
 Ball Charge expansion < 3%
 Chamber 1 Specific power consumptionCement mill 8-12 kWh/t
Raw mill 40 – 45 % of total mill power consumption
4.6. Ball charge sorting

 Clean, round shape and suitable size balls in the compartment with minimal
contamination
 C1 should be sorted every 5000 to 7000 h
 C2 should be sorted every 10000 to 14000 h
5. Managing mill liners
 Worn out liners can cause reduction in output by 6 to 10 %

 Reference points to measure lifting height are the lowest point on the liner to the highest
release point (contact points between grinding ball and liner plate)
 American Lorrain pattern: diameter (ft)*2=# bolt holes/row, 18.8” centre to centre.
 DIN pattern: diameter (m)*10= # bolt holes/row, 31.4 cm centre to centre.
 Classifying liners recommended if L/D>1.5 and volume load <35%.
 Without classifying liners, keep a maximum of 3-4 ball sizes.
5.1. When to exchange liners
Liners for the first grinding compartment

 A very general approach is to change the liners when only 40% of the initial liner height
remains.
 It is recommended to change the liners of the whole of the compartment but when wear
is uneven only some sections need to be changed. The part of the entrance (first 2-2,5
m) wears out faster and is more important to the process than the part at the outlet.
Liners for the fine-grinding compartment

 A minimum lift is required to decrease the so called «dead zone» in the centre of ball
charge. The lifter height should be >10mm.

 In longer compartments grinding requires a wide selection of ball diameters (50 to

20mm). Classifying liners are therefore recommended to avoid reverse classification of
the ball charge.
Liners for single compartment mills

 These mills are usually equipped with both classifying and lifting liners. The
recommendations are the same as above.
Minimising Impact of Worn Liners

 It is sometimes necessary to operate ball mills with worn liners (worn lifting action, but
still of a safe thickness to protect the mill shell from damage), whilst waiting for the
opportunity to exchange for new ones. In this case it can be beneficial to move to a
coarser ball charge to help compensate for the loss of crushing action from the liners.
The use of 100mm balls could also be considered in special cases but this needs to be
discussed with the liner supplier.
5.2. Indications of liner wear

Excessive wear of the liner can be suspected as soon as:
 The historical data shows a decrease in output and an increase in specific energy
consumption when compared with the data for the same cement type recorded when the
liner was installed.
 There are signs of high variations in the amount of power used by the mill motor, which
is indicative of the ball charge slipping and the noise of the mill indicates irregularities in
the lifting and tumbling. The drive and motor might be overloaded.
 The remote control shows high variations in the feed, the power used by the bucket
elevator fluctuates in a large and unusual range and there are significant fluctuations in
the reject flow.
 Higher lifting increases the force of balls and increases the crushing efficiency. Lower
lifting creates a denser packing of the balls which is better for finer grinding.
 Higher crushing force does not automatically increase the efficiency of any grinding
process
5.3. Measure the liner profile
 The liner-profile can be measured by means of a needle comb or a negative profile

model. Several liners around the circumference and over the length of the compartment
have to be measured because wear is rarely even.
 Profile measurement by needle comb: two reference points will be taken on new liners.
The evolution of the profile will be measured and plotted on reference liners along the
compartment every year. A profile comb can be made easily at the plant or can be
delivered on request with the liners.
 Profile measurement by negative profile model: A negative profile will be made starting
from new liners. Two points on the liners will serve as a reference. Distances are
measured and then plotted between the negative profile and the surface of the liner.
 A minimum height on the lift of >40% of the initial height of the lift is recommended.
Grooves in the liners do not harm lifting or grinding since they increase the contact
between liners and balls.

6. Ball Charge Design
6.1. Recommended volume loading FM
Recommended Volume Loading

st nd rd
1 Compartment 2 Compartment 3 Compartment
1
For minimum kWh/t 26 – 28% 28 – 30% 28 – 30%
For maximum Production 32 – 34 % 34 – 36% 34 – 36%
6.2. Typical ball charge design for new mills
After the new ball charge mill audit should be carried out with meter sampling. The ball charge
should be adjusted as per the audit finding process and product requirements.
Closed circuit finish mill (without pre-grinders)
Chamber 1 Chamber 2
Coarse charge Fine charge Coarse charge Fine charge
Ball size (mm) Ball size (mm)
% % % %
40 (transition
90 40 21 10
zone)
80 29 38 30 25 15
70 19 25 25 25 15
60 12 16 20 20 30
1
The recommended volume loading for minimum kWh/t is based on an acceptable compromise with production. For
minimum kWh/t the volume loading can be as low as 22% in the second compartment. Due to risk of breakage the
minimum volume loading in first compartment shall not underpass 25%.
The minimum power here is only for the main drive power. Minimum power is also influenced by total shop power.

17 20 40
Average ball Average ball
1.83 1.63 47 34
weight (kg/ball) weight (g/ball)
Specific surface
2 32 37
(m /t)
Note: With high circulating loads, as with oversized or high efficiency separators (HES), the coarser
nd
grading in the 2 chamber is more suitable to help maintain charge permeability and avail advantage of
better classification.
Open circuit finish mills
Chamber 1 Chamber 2
Coarse charge Fine charge
Ball size (mm) Ball size (mm) %
% %
90 40 21 30 10
80 29 38 25 10
70 19 25 20 20
60 12 16 17 60
1.83 1.63 30
Specific surface
2 39
(m /t)
Note: Many plants also use 15 mm balls around 30-40%
Raw mills
Chamber 1 Chamber 2
Coarse charge
Ball size (mm) % Ball size (mm) Fine charge %
%
90 40 60 20
80 29 50 30 30
70 19 40 30 30
60 12 30 20 40
1.83 260 186
Specific surface
2 18 21
(m /t)
nd
Note: Up to 50% 90 mm are used in some mills. Ball charge may be finer in 2 compartment.
6.3. Ball charge design example - Slegten model

 Compatible mostly with two compartment closed circuit FM with classifying linings in the
second compartment.

First Compartment – Crushing

 Same number (n) of balls in each size range 80, 70 and 60 mm Ø and then add some 90
mm Ø to deal with oversize clinker. This equilibrium charge will not change as you add 90
mm Ø make-up balls to maintain volume load.
Ø Ball (mm) % of Weight (x) % of Weight Number/ 10 t of Charge

90 100-5x 20.0 670
80 2*4x 38.4 1820
70 1.6x 25.6 1820
60 x 16.0 1820
x = is taken to be the number of balls in the last size.
 In recent years, Slegten has favoured a 3-ball size distribution in first compartments over a
4- ball size as shown in table above.
Transition Zone
 This is the start of the second compartment and its job is to crush any oversize that
penetrated the diaphragm
 The design for this area is to use "n" balls of 50 and 40 mm.
Ø Ball (mm) % of Weight (x) % of Weight Number/ 10 t of Charge

50 1.952x 66 13200
40 x 34 13200
x = is taken to be the number of balls in the last size.
 The largest ball size used in this transition zone can be identical to the smallest ball size
used in the first compartment.
Second Compartment – Fine Grinding

 The envelope curve for the balls smaller than 40 mm follows the following formula:
 D  33e0.10. x where:
- D = Ø ball (mm)
- x = distance from transition zone finish (m)
 The 30 mm balls start at the completion of the transition zone and the exponential curve
follows.
Rule of thumb:
 The smallest ball size should, as a minimum, be at least twice the width of the slots in the
grates (ex. >16 mm balls if slots are 8 mm wide).
6.4. Fineness targets in mills:

In Finish mills first compartment before intermediate diaphragm

 95% passing of 2.365 mm (2360 m or 8 mesh) for the material leaving the first
compartment
 Particle size distribution recommended on other sieves:

- 86 – 92 % passing 1.0 mm (1000 m or 18 mesh)
In Finish mills second compartment before discharge diaphragm
 95% passing 0.5 mm (500 m or 35 mesh)
 70 - 80 % passing 0.2 mm (212 m or 70 mesh)
In Raw mills first compartment before intermediate diaphragm

 95% passing 4 mm sieve (4000 m or 5 mesh)
7. Grinding Laws
7.1. Absorbed power of mill

 Only 5-10 % of the energy is used for grinding, 90% is wasted into heat, wear, noise…
 With similar ball charge gradation and similar liners' lifting effect, the absorbed power is
related to:
- Tonnage of balls
- Mill rpm
- % volume load
- Mill diameter
Slegten formula (is only applied to closed circuit mills with classifying liners in 2nd
compartment)
1.27
 rpm  
 P  W *  
 * K j * K Fr and W  * Fr 2 * L * J * d
 Vcr  4
where:
- P : the motor absorbed power (kW) - J : the ratio between the apparent
- W : the weight of the load (t) ball volume and the internal volume
- Fr : internal diameter (inside liners) - rpm: is mill speed (rpm)
(m)
- d is the apparent density of load (t/m3)
#1 comp : d = 4.5
#2 comp : d = 4.65, if fine ball size distribution (average ball weight < 40 g)
d = 4.6, if coarser ball size distribution (average ball weight > 40
g)
Average : d = 4.6
 42.3 
- Vcr is the critical speed inside liners=   , L : the useful length of mill (m)
 
 Fr 
K j  1.36  1.2 J , K Fr  C.Fr
0.379
-

- K Fr is the influence of the location of the center of gravity for the moving ball charge vs.
the mill center (C is a constant depending on the material and the liners).
- C= 11.262 for Clinker mill closed circuit with Slegten equipment
10.7 for clinker + slag, 12.16 for raw mix, 10.1 for slurry
1.27
 rpm  
 P  L *  
 * J* K j * * Fr2.379 * d * C
 Vcr  4
Simplified formula
 RPM  100 Fr
 P T * * *Kj * * 9.5
 Vcr  75 1.366
Kj Function of Volume Load
Volume load Kj
40% 0.9
30% 1
20% 1.1
Rules of Thumb
 One metric tonne of balls increases the mill power draw by 10 kW.
 Usually, 8 to 12 kWh/t is absorbed in the first compartment for clinker grinding
(approximately 1/3 of the mill power)
7.2. Charles, Bond, Kick & Rittinger laws

General Law: Charles
Value of n
 dW  cx n dx
- If W = Comminution work, x = Size Applies well over
Energy Law Value of n:
of particles (initial, final) range of:
Rittinger 2
Kick 1 10 – 1000 m
Bond 1.5
Normalized Blaine fineness equation

 Fineness equation, generally acceptable in Blaine range of 3000-5000 cm2/g are:

n
 SA 
W2  W1  2 
 SA 1 
- n = 1.3-1.7 for high efficiency separator (HES) circuit

- n = nHES+0.1 for older generation separators
- n = nHES+0.2 for open circuit mills.
- W1 and W2,are the initial and resulting specific power consumption kWh/t, W is inversely
proportional to production rates.
- SA1 and SA2 are the initial and final product surface areas m2/kg
0.43( SA1  SA2 ) / 1000

 Fineness equation used by Polysius & KHD: C 2  C1 * e
where C2 and C1 are production capacities
 Research Study (Rene): +1% passing at 10µm: +108 SSB [Blaine]
Rules of thumb
 Raw material: 10-16 kWh/t (mill motor) target fineness: passing 200µm>99%, passing
90µm>88% depending upon burnability of raw mix)
 Cement: For a pure cement (95% clinker) at 3500 cm2/g, the mill motor consumption should
be <40 kWh/t. (Clinker grindability: approx 32 kWh/t at 3000 cm2/g (mill motor).
8. Grindability Measurement
8.1. Bond test

Lab Mill Characteristics
Diameter: 30.5 cm
Length: 30.5 cm
Ball weight: 20 kg
Material quantity: 700 cm3
Speed: 70 rpm
Formula
44.5 dp100 is the sieve with 100% passing feed material
Wi 
  dp80 80% feed material
d p 100 0.23  P 0.82 *  
10 10
  df80 80% finish material
 d p 80 d f 80
  P is the production (g/rev of mill) of product at the
level the circulating load is requested.
Wi is the Bond work index kWh/short ton.
 Developed to predict energy requirements of 2.44m diameter, wet, closed circuit, ball mill at
a fineness of either 65 mesh (220 µm) or 100 mesh(150 µm).
 Pre-crush feed to #6 (3.35 mm). Maintain 700g sample in test mill. Turn mill 100-150 rev.
 Remove undersize (dp100 – 65 or 100 mesh) and replace with fresh feed (300 – 400 g). 1st
cycle is now completed. Repeat procedure until steady state is reached. Typically 6-8

cycles so that 200 g are removed at each cycle, which equals 250% circulating load or 30%
of “P”.
 The Work index expresses the specific net energy needed to grind a material from indefinite
feed size to dp80 =100 µm
 Wi for Raw materials for cement plants are usually in the range of 8 – 16 kWh/st
 The Bond test is really on indicative of fine grinding, since it has to be pass through a 3.35
mm screen. There is no information about crushability or dynamic fragmentation from this
test.
Typical Values of Wi for common materials:
Wi kWh/st*  (g/cm3)
Clinker: 13.49 3.09
Limestone 10.18 2.68
Shale 16.40 2.58
Slag 15.76 2.93
Sand stone 11.53 2.68
Silica sand 16.46 2.65
Coal 11.37 1.63
Clay 7.10 2.23
Gypsum 8.16 2.69
Kiln feed 10.57 2.67
* Wi can vary significantly from these figures depending upon the nature of the materials and material testing is
necessary for each particular case when assessing a mill.
8.2. Hardgrove test
The Hardgrove test was originally developed for determination of coal grindability, using a
laboratory scale ring ball mill. Feed size is prepared in the range 600 – 1180 µm. The mill is
charged with 50g of feed and operated for 50 revolutions. The result is calculated from the
proportion of material passing 75µm. The figure is meant to compare the grindability with a
standard American coal with an index of 100.
Bond gave the following equation to convert HGI into a Bond Wi:
435
Wi 
HGI 0.91
Other similar relationships can be found in the literature. Ranges of HGI found in cement plant
raw materials are given below:

Material HGI*
Clay 130 – 160
Coal 35 – 90
Limestone 60 – 120
Shale 60 - 170
Silica Sand 30 - 100
*Clearly the HGI can vary significantly from these figures depending upon the nature of the materials and
material testing is necessary for each particular case when assessing a mill.
9. Mill Performance Benchmarking
9.1. Benchmarking ball mills with Bond’s Wi
Bond is most useful for assessing the power consumption of ball raw mills and coal mills since
both target product particle size rather than surface area. However, determining value of Bond
index can be difficult and needs to be carried out with an experienced lab.
The power consumption for a new mill can be estimated from the Bond Equation:
 10 10 
Where:
Ws  FB  1.102  Wi    Ws – calculated industrial mill shaft power kWh/t
 P 80 F80 
 WSA – Actual industrial mill shaft power kWh/t
P80 – Product 80% passing size µm
F80 – Feed 80% passing size µm
FB - Bond Factor for dry grinding normally 1.3
The 1.102 is the conversion from kWh/short ton to kWh/t (metric)

.
For grinding finer than 70µm Bond proposed a fine grinding correction factor, calculated from:
 10.3  P80 
FP   
 1.145  P80 
The Bond equation can also be used for benchmarking existing mills in conjunction with actual
mill shaft power consumption (W SA kWh/t) to compute the Bond factor:

WSA
FB 
 10 10 
1.102  Wi    F
 P 80 F  P
 80 
Values of less than 1.3 would normally indicate an efficient mill.
The Bond equation is also useful to assess the potential impact of changes to mill feed or
product size.
10. Other Data
10.1.Sieve sizes
Sieve Mesh Micron Iso alter Screen Micron Iso alter

#400 37 38 #14 1400
#325 44 45 #12 1700
#270 53 53 #10 2000 2000
#230 63 63 #8 2360
#200 74 75 #7 2800
#170 88 90 #6 3350
#140 105 106 #5 4000
#120 125 125 #4 4750
#100 149 150 #3.5 5600
#80 177 180 1/4" 6350 6300
#70 210 212 5/16" 8000 8000
#60 250 250 3/8" 9510 9500
#50 297 300 7/16" 11200 11200
#45 354 355 1/2" 12700 12500
#40 420 425 5/8" 16000 16000
#35 500 500 3/4" 19000 19000
#30 595 600 7/8" 22600 22400
#25 707 710 1" 25400 25000
#20 850 1"1/4 32000 31500
#18 1000 1000 1"1/2 38100 38100
#16 1180 2" 50800 50000

10.2.Bulk densities
Bulk density kg/m3

Sand 1387
Sand 1679
Iron 2629
Bauxite 1980
Brick 1502
Gypsum 1677
Fluid coke 926
Limestone (crushed) 1803
Silica fume 1024
Bottom Ash 1241
Cement CEM I 1234
Clinker (over burned) 1575
Clinker (well burned) 1400
Raw mix 1041

10.3.Residue conversion chart

CONVERSION OF
% residue at 90μm
SIEVE RESIDUES
70
50
40
30
355 μm
20
250 μm
12.0%
10
200 μm
180 μm
7
5
150 μm
4
3
125 μm
106 μm
0.7
0.5 90 μm
0.4
80 μm
0.3
14.22%
63 μm
0.2
75 μm
56 μm
% residue
12.0%
50 μm
45 μm 25 μm
0.1 0.7 1 2 3 4 5 7 10 20 30 40 50

Notes:

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HeidelbergCement Group

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Valid as of: 2013-07-11

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Valid as of: 2013-07-11

Created by: Reviewed by:

1. Objectives and Scope ...................................................................... 3

9. Mill Performance Benchmarking .................................................. 21

1. Objectives and Scope

2. Terms and Definitions

L/D Length to diameter ratio

3. Ball Mill Design

3.1. Mill design

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 3 of 26

 The optimum specific energy and the

 Graph shows three curves at degree

3.2. Percent loading of mill

 % volume load = 360 0.8

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 4 of 26

3.3. Ball mill critical speed

3.4. Retention time

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 5 of 26

3.5. Mill throughput assessment

3.6. Required air velocities for mill ventilation

3.7. Optimum filling ratio

3.8. Mill feed material specifications

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 6 of 26

 Raw mill max fresh feed moisture

4. Ball Charge and Mill Internals Evaluation

4.1. Largest ball diameter

Grinding Ball vs Clinker Size

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 7 of 26

4.2. Grinding Balls Data

Grinding Ball dimensions

Number of Weight of 1 Specific

90.00 ±3½" 2,916.841 254.469 343 4590 8.728

80.00 2,048.590 201.062 488 4620 9.812

77.00 ±3½" 1,826.658 186.265 548 10.207

70.00 1,372.396 153.938 729 4640 11.222

64.00 ±2½" 1,048.878 128.680 954 12.276

60.00 864.249 113.097 1,157 4660 13.085

50.00 ±2" 500.144 78.540 2,000 4708 15,708

40.00 256.074 50.265 3,905 4760 19.628

38.00 ±1½" 219.551 45.365 4,555 20.664

35.00 171.549 38.485 5,830 22.437

31.75 ±1¼" 128.061 31.669 7,809 24.730

30.00 108.031 28.274 9,257 4850 26.173

25.00 ±1" 62.518 19.635 15,996 4894 31.408

23.00 48.682 16.619 20,542 34.139

22.22 =7/8" 43.895 15.511 22,782 35.337

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 8 of 26

20.00 ±3/4" 32.009 12.566 31,242 4948 39.259

17.00 ±5.8" 19.658 9.079 50,870 4989 46.185

(Unit weight and specific surface of MAGOTTEAUX grinding media)

4.3. Wear rates estimation:

Example of Wear Rate Calculations

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 9 of 26

Ball Mill Grinding Process Handbook Page 10 of 26

It is better to use wear in terms of g/kWh (mill main drive power):

Bulk density for ball load