Use of the Theory of Grinding Kinetics to Calculate

Tower Mills Characteristics

S. Nitta
Nippon Eirich Co., Ltd, Tower Mill Business Dept., Chiba-ken, Japan.
E-mail: nitta@nippon-eirich.co.jp

T. Furuyama
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

ABSTRACT
The present study deals with a new approach in calculating the size of Tower Mills. The method
is derived from the application of grinding kinetics theory on the analysis of by-gone operational
data. It requires only information on the capacity of the mill to be designed, the product fineness and
the Bonds work index to give an accurate and simple prediction of Tower Mill characteristics. An
example illustrates the different steps of calculation.
Keywords: Grinding kinetics;Tower mills; Characteristics

INTRODUCTION

grodifferential equation of batch grinding (Sedlatshek and Bass, 1953; Harris, 1968)

The first step in the choice of grinding

equipments includes the treatment of data
brought to the manufacturers by customers.
Mostly, these kinds of information are limited
and manufacturers have to rely on their past
experience to draw an adequate estimate about
the size of the grinding equipment and respond
quickly to the customers request. This burdensome work could be ease if the great number of
valuable experimental data stored by manufacturers were analyzed with accuracy to define a
systematic approach to the design of grinding
equipments. In the present study, this analysis is
made on the basis of the theory of grinding kinetics and a method of calculation is suggested
to determine the real characteristics of the
Tower Mill (diameter, rotation of the screw device, required charge of grinding media, etc.).
As illustrated through a real case study, the method requires only information on mill capacity,
grinding fineness and the Bonds work index.

2 D ( x, t )
D( x, t )
=
S ( x, t )
t x
x
(1)
xm
D( , t )
B ( , x)
+
S ( , t )
d

x
x
is given by

=
R( x, t ) R( x, 0) exp(k x n t )

(2)

in which R ( x, t ) is the percentage of particles coarser than sieve size x after grinding for
time t [hours] a feed material having size distribution R ( x, 0 ) , x: diameter of particles [m],
k: rate constant [(m)nh]-1, and n: uniformity
constant.
Formula (2) stands for a narrowly sized feed
and requires that exponents n and m should
have the same value in the selection s(x) = k.xn
and breakage B ( , x ) = ( x / )

functions, and

also that R ( x, 0 ) = 1 , at long enough grinding

GRINDING KINETICS THEORY:

EQUATIONS AND SOLUTIONS

times (Nakajima and Tanaka, 1973).

In the case of a plug-flow through a mill operating continuously in
an open circuit (Chujo, 1949), the above

In the literature related to grindings kinetics

theory, a simple analytical solution to the inte350

formula can be rewritten as follows:

=
R p ( x ) R f ( x ) exp k x
n

Wb
is fixed and in a Tower
W
Mill = 10 to 15.
So, substituting W from the above relation
into (6) and rearranging gives:
F
F
F
(7)
xc*n =
=
=
Wb k ' Wb
k W
k
the mill (W). =

(3)

in which, indexes p and f represent the products (ground material) and feed (material undergoing comminution) respectively; is the
retention time, which is expressed as
W
(4)
=
F
where W is the weight of ground materials
retained inside the mill: [tons] and F is the mill
capacity: [tons/h].
Thus, substituting (4) into (3) and rearranging gives:
n

W n
x

R p ( x=
) exp k x = exp
F
x

c
(5)
in which,
F
(6)
xc*n =
k W
In the case x has the same value as the characteristic parting size ( x c* ) of a closed circuit

Here, k is the modified rate constant,

k
F
k=' =
Wb xc n

Therefore, in designing a Tower Mill, x c* , F

and the modified rate constant k can be used, as
expressed above in (7) and (8), to determine the
total weight of grinding media W b .

A TYPICAL GRINDING SYSTEM AND

RELATED GRINDIG KINETICS
CONSTANTS
Tower Mills are mainly used in closed circuits (see Fig. 1) in which the new feed (F) and
the coarse grained particles or tailings (T) are
supplied to the bottom of the mill as E material.
The particle size distribution of this material
(R E ) is a mixed distribution of the particle
size distribution of the feed (R F ) and that of the
tailings (R T ). On the other hand, in the grinding
zone of the Tower Mill filled up with balls
(grinding media), a part of the products retained
inside the mill (W) is communited and dis

with an infinitely large circulating load ratio, the

causal relationship (5) reduces to ( R p ( x ) = .

( )

R p xc=
1/=
e 0.368) That

means,

(8)

about

38.6% of materials produced in an open circuit

and larger than sieve size x are particles of
equivalent size (Furuya et al., 1971).
Formula (6) can be modified with regard to
: ratio of the total weight of grinding media
(W b ) to the weight of products retained inside

351

Fig. 1

Typical tower mill closed circuit

were based on a measurement of the Bonds

working index W i according to the Japanese
industrial standard (JIS) and an estimate of the
uniformity constant (n) while grinding materials
at identical condition in the laboratory testing
Tower Mill KM-5 which has a 440mm diameter
cylinder and a 240 mm diameter screw-like stirring device.

charged to the classifier as product (D), from

which particles finer than x c are collected as
final product (P). When the grinding process is
stabilized, F=P and the ratio of coarse grained
particles (T) to fine particles (P) or to the total
amount of materials undergoing grinding (F)
represents the circulating load (CL).

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

UNIFORMITY CONSTANT (N)
AND THE BONDS WORK INDEX (W I )

RATE CONSTANT K AND PARTICLE

SIZE PREDICTION

A thorough analysis of data collected from

22 worldwide limestone ore samples has helped
establishing a relationship between the Bonds
working index (W i ) and the uniformity constant
n (see Fig. 2) so that the value of the latter could
be defined when the resistance of a material to
grinding was specified only through W i (Nitta et
al., to be published). The recurrent expressions
obtained through such a study,

=
n 1.751 0.422 ln (Wi ) r = 0.855**

Equations 6, 7 and 8 indicate that an estimate

of the rate constant k or its modified form k can
be made if the value of xcn* is given from the
particle size distribution of materials. The calculation reported in TABLE 1 was made for
materials smaller than 10 mm ground on 16
different types of Tower Mills, from the smallest Tower Mill KW-5 (Height: 2.2 m; Power: 5
horsepower or 3.73 kW) to the largest one - the
Tower Mill KW-1500 (Height: 14.6 m; Power:

(9)

1.2

1.1

1.0

Uniformity

constant/n/n

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5
Bonds work index [Wi]/(kWh/t)

352

Fig. 2

Relationship between Bonds Work Index and uniformity constant

353

354

1500 horsepower or 1120 kW), to produce particles whose average diameter varied from 20
m to 2 m.

mill throughput E (including circulating coarse

particles) and the mass of materials F, freshly
supplied to the mill (see Figure 1). Accordingly,

EMPIRICAL CORRELATIONS FOR THE

DETERMINATION OF TOWER MILL
CHARACTERISTICS

FE1/0.856= E1.168 or [E]=8.25.[F]0.856 (10)

The above relation was not affected despite
the unevenness of data collected using different
types of classifying devices (sedimentation tank
or hydraulic cyclone) in the grinding tests of
various materials (limestone, quicklime, and
magnesium oxide).

Relationship between F (processing capacity)

and E (weight of products passing through
the mill)

Through-put E/(t/h)

Fig. 3 illustrates the relationship between the

New feed F/(t/h)

Fig. 3 [Tower mill through-put] vs [New feed rate]

[ Dm ] =

Relationship between D m (effective diameter

of the mill) and E (weight of products passing
through the mill)

Dm ]
[=

0.250 [ E ]

0.421

0.856 0.421

Dm ]
[=

or

(12)

0.608 [ F ]
A different expression of equation (12) can
be drawn from the previously established correlations (10) and (11) between F and E:

This relation, plotted in Fig. 4, shows that

E Dm1/ 0.412 Dm 2.375 or

0.250 8.25 [ F ]

(11)

0.360

F E1.168 Dm 2.375

Substituting E from expression (10) into the

above relation gives:

1.168

Tower mill diameter Dm/m

= Dm 2.774 F = k1 Dm 2.774

Through-put E/(t/h)

Fig. 4 [Tower mill diameter] vs [Through-put]

355

(12')

tons to 57.2 tons, excluding those forming a

dead stock in the grinding zone of the Tower
Mill where comminution does not occur. The
obtained relation, illustrated in Fig. 5, can be
written as follows:

Relationship between D m (effective diameter

of the mill) and W b (weight of grinding media)
To establish this relation, 4 types of balls
sizing from 12.7 mm to 25 mm were tested in
Tower Mills with an effective diameter of 0.4 ~
3.2 m. The total weight of balls varied from 0.5

(13)

Weight of balls Wb/t

Wb Dm 2.34 Wb = 4.80 Dm 2.34

Mill diameter Dm/m

Fig. 5 [Net weight of balls] vs [Mill diameter]

The values of the modified rate constant k

for 20 mm diameter balls are reported in Table 1
and plotted in Fig. 6. As seen, the relationship is
a kind of boundless distribution representing
parallel lines, stratified into low (36~44 rpm),
intermediate (60~86 rpm) and high (95~100
rpm) speed distributions according to the frequency N of the stirring device. That suggests
the existence of a relationship between the frequency N and the modified rate constant k and,
inductively, D m - the effective diameter of the
mill.

Relationship between k (modified rate constant) and D m (effective diameter of the mill)
Substituting correlations F Dm 2.774 and

Wb Dm 2.34 into equation (8) gives the investigated correlation:

Dm 2.774
Dm 0.434
k
F
k'=
=

=
or
Wb xc n Dm 2.340 xc n
xc n
D 0.434
k ' = k2 . m n
xc

(14)

Fig. 6 [Modified rate constant K] vs [Dm]0.43 / [Xc*n]

356

can be established dividing equations (14) by

(15):
D 0.434
k'
1
k2 m

=
n

N
xc 88.6 Dm 0.879

(16)

Relationship between N (frequency of the

stirring device) and D m (effective diameter of
the mill)
This relationship, plotted in Fig. 7 according to data reported in Table 1, can be expressed
as follows:

88.6 [ Dm ]

N]
[=

0.879

= k3

(15)

Dm1.313
xc n

A more accurate expression for the correlation (16) is obtained in plotting data from
TABLE 1 as illustrated in Fig. 8:

Correction of k (modified rate constant) according to N (frequency of the stirring device)

D 1.313
k'
45.5 m n
=
x
N
c

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the modified rate

constant k varies with the frequency of the stirring device. Theoretically, such a correlation

0.792

Dm
45.5
=
0.800
xc n

( )

Screw r.p.m N/rpm

(17)

Mill diameter Dm/m

Fig. 7 [Screw r.p.m] vs [Mill diameter]

Fig. 8 [(Modified rate constant) / (Screw r.p.m)] vs [(Mill dia.), (Particle size)]

relationship between D b and k is of quadratic

nature. The peak of this curved line, set up at 20
mm, corresponds to the best suited diameter of
balls to be used for grinding. Accordingly, the

Influence of D b (diameter of balls) on the

value of k (modified rate constant)
The plot illustrated in Fig. 9 indicates that the
357

plot in Fig. 8 can be corrected, as shown in Fig.

10, gives a more reliable value of R2. Therefore,
the investigated correlation is
or

( )

K/(1/(hm^n))

20
k ' Dm 1

N x n D exp D
c* b
b

0.994

20
Dm
k '

1
=

0.32
exp

N
0.800

n
D

Db
xc*
b
(18)
when the exponent of x in the recurrent formula
=
y 0.32 x 0.994 is taken for 1, approximately.

Ball diameter Db/mm

Fig. 9

K vs Ball diameter

Fig. 10 [(Modified rate constant) / (Screw r.p.m)] vs [(Mill dia.), (Particle size), (Ball dia.)]

VALIDATION OF THE METHOD OF

CALCULATION THROUGH A CASE
STUDY

2. The effective diameter of the mill (D m ) is

calculated from the weight of materials to
be treated (F) and relation (12) gives:
0.360
0.608 [ 6.8]
=
1.21m
[ Dm ] =

Lets set up the different steps required to lay

out the appropriate size of a Tower Mill that
could be used to grind 6.8 tons per hours of
materials, the Bonds working index for which
is 13.0 kWh/t, so that 90% of produced particles
will be finer than 63 m.
1. From the Bonds work index (W i ), an estimate of the uniformity constant n can be
made using Fig. 2 and formula (9):
n = 1.751 0.422 ln (13.0 ) = 0.669

3. The value of

xc *

is found from the re-

quired diameter of materials x p and the

fineness of the process:
x p = 63 m,
R p (x) = 10.90 = 0.10
and (5) gives:
0.669

63
x * = 18.1
0.10 = exp

c
x*

358

=
(18.1
)0.669

Consequently,
=
xc* n

6.94

4. The number of revolutions in unit time or

frequency N of the stirring device is
found out substituting the value of D m
into (15) or through Fig. 7:

88.6 [12.1]
[N ] =

0.879

or using relation (13) and Fig. 5, if the

dead stock is not considered:

Wb =
4.80 Dm 2.34 =
4.80 (1.21)

=
74.9rpm

Table 2 summarizes the results of the calculation and gives the characteristics of the most
suitable Tower Mill that could be used in this
case. However, the calculated W i and N values
indicates that the ore is of poor grindability and
the required mill would produce materials
coarser than those really obtained in practice.
Some adjustment in the rotation of the stirring
device and correction in the weight of grinding
media made in accordance with the diameter of
mill might settle this difference.

( )

20
exp =
0.115
20
6. Finally, the total weight of balls (grinding
media) W b can be estimated through equation (8):

2.34

= 7.5tons

5. Assuming that 20 mm diameter balls will

be used, Fig. 10 and equation (18) give
the value of the modified rate constant k:

Dm

1

k =' 0.32 N
0.800

n
D
xc*
b

Table 2

6.8
F
=
= 8.5tons
k ' xcn* 0.115 6.94

=
Wb

Summary of calculation results & suitable tower mill

Unit

Calculated

Suitable

Capacity

Items
F

t/h

6.80

6.42

Product particle size

Xp

63

60

Passing percent

1-R p

90

90

Bonds work index

Wi

kWh/t

13.0

12.05

Uniformity constant

0.669

0.720

Mill inside diameter

Dm

1.21

1.042

Screw speed

rpm

74.9

86.0

Corrected K

1/(h^n)

0.115

0.1173

Mass of balls, total

Wb

8.5

8.0

10

Material: limestone

In order to complete the design of the mill,

the height of the mill and the diameter and
height of the blade forming the screw-like stirring device should be determined, naturally,
through the mill diameter and the grinding media load. As for the electric consumption, it
should ensure the rotation of the screw-like stirring device that will set the required amount of
20 mm diameter balls in motion.

modified rate constant k. Besides, the characteristic parting size of particles ( xcn* ) and the
quantity of materials to be ground (F) can be
used to determinate the effective diameter (D m )
of the mill, the total weight of grinding media
(W b ), the frequency of the screw-like stirring
device, and increase the accuracy in the estimate of the energy consumption, eventually.

CONCLUSIONS

REFERENCES
Chujo, K.,1949. Kagakukogaku to Kagakukikai (Annual Report

Based on the theory of grinding kinetics and

the past performances of wet Tower Mills
working in a wide range of conditions, a model
of calculation was established to estimate the

of the Japan Society of Chemical Engineers), 7, 1.

Furuya K., Nakajima, Y., and Tanaka, T., 1971. IEC, Proc. Des.
Devel. 10: 449.

359

Harris, C., C., 1968. Batch Grinding Kinetics. AIME

Transactions, 241: 359-364.
Nakajima, Y. and Tanaka, T., 1973. Industrial engineering chemistry. Process design and development, 12: 23.
Nitta, S., Bissombolo, A., Furuyama, T. and Mori, S., 2001.

Relationship between Bonds work index (W i ) and uniformity constant (n) of grinding kinetics on Tower Mill milling
limestone. (To be published)
Sedlatshek, K. and Bass, I., 1953. Powder Metall. Bull., 6: 148.

360