MODELLING OF THE SALA AGITATED MILL (SAM)

USING BRGM PILOT PLANT DATA

J.-C. Guillaneau·, O. Olofssont, M.-V. Durance·, J. Villeneuve·

·BRGM

Process Simulation Group, France

tUniversity of Luleå
Sweden

ABSTRACT

Modelling of the Sala Agitated Mill (SAM) using a simplified solution to the population balance
approach has been carried out. The rate of breakage is modified by the mill power, providing
predictions of the resulting product size distribution for different grinding conditions and mill sizes.
The power of the mill is estimated by a physically derived function, using an assumption that the mill
power consumption mainly arises from the ball to ball friction within the mill. The grinding
efficiency, depending on the media ball size and pulp density is approximated in the model.
Experimental work on grinding a complex sulphide ore using a pilot scale SAM 7.5 has been carried
out. Good agreement has been found between the data from the test campaign and the simulated
values. The model has also been validated with experimental data from a pilot grinding of calcium
carbonate and from an industrial mill. The model is included in the USIM PAC simulation software.
 INTRODUCTION

Fine grinding is becoming increasingly important in the mineral industry as well as in the paper
industry and in the production of fine metal powders. The conventional tumbling mills, widely used in
the mineral industry, lose their grinding efficiency when particle sizes are finer than 100 mm and the
grinding sharply decreases for particles smaller than 10 to 30 mm.
One reason to this is that the smallest possible grinding media size in a tumbling mill is 15 mm balls.
With small particle sizes the number of particles to be ground in the mill is high and the probability
for a particle to be directly hit by a ball is therefore small. Also, if the sizes of the particles get close
to the size of the ultimate crystals of the mineral, the crack frequency in the particle is strongly
reduced, and the grain gets more resistant to breakage action.
For this reason stirred ball mills are increasingly used for grinding to sizes less then 100 µm. They are
more energy efficient than the tumbling ball mills because the stirred ball mills can be operated with a
smaller grinding media size, giving a particle/media ratio more suitable for fine grinding.

A stirred ball mill that has proved to be competitive and is now introduced in a number of plants is the
Sala Agitated Mill (SAM), which is a vertical stirred mill developed by SALA International AB. It is
designed for fine or ultra fine grinding both wet and dry. As the mill is still relatively new, few efforts
have been made to get an operational model, such as the population balance model for tumbling ball
mills, that predicts the output from the mill given the kinetic parameters and the feed characteristics.
Thanks to the CEC Brite EuRam Program IMPEXFLOTCOL (Improvement and Extension of the use
of Flotation Columns), a model of the SAM has been developed with the aim of being able to simulate
different circuit configurations for flotation columns including regrinding stages. To build such a
model, an important literature survey as well as experimental tests have been carried out. The model
has been developed and included in the USIM PAC 2 process simulator.
A description of the experimental work carried out at the BRGM pilot plant and an overview of the
basic theory of the model are presented. Then, the validation phase is detailed. The model has been
validated with pilot plant coming from BRGM tests and literature and with industrial data coming
from the Zinkgruvan mine.

THE SALA AGITATED MILL

The Sala Agitated Mill consists in a grinding chamber filled with grinding media. The media is
agitated by a rotor equipped with stirring pins. The rotor is driven by an electric motor located on the
top of the mill with the power of 7.5 kW for the pilot scale mills up to 75 kW for the industrial mills.
A number of specially designed parts, subjected to reduce the wear, are found in the mill. The mill
design is shown in figure 1. Although the wear protection, the pressure at the mill bottom prevents the
design of large mills without considerable redesign efforts. This is why there are not SAM mills larger
than 75 kW (Holmberg, 1993). For the pilot scale SAM 7.5 the internal diameter is 275 mm and the
grinding chamber height 780 mm, while in the biggest SAM, the SAM 75, the mill diameter is 690
mm and the grinding chamber height 1200 mm.
In wet grinding the pulp is fed at the bottom of the mill and overflows at the top, while for dry
grinding the mill is fed at the top and is discharged at the bottom (See figure 1.)
The diameter of the grinding media is very important for the grinding results. It has been considered
that the ratio between grinding media and the largest particle to be ground should be 20 - 40 in the
SAM.

Drive motor

Speed reducer

Wear resistant rotor

Discharge

Baffles

Solid tungsten carbide pins

Lifter
Feed

Figure 1 The Sala Agitated Mill (wet grinding)

EXPERIMENTAL TESTING CAMPAIGN

A test campaign, consisting in twenty-seven wet grinding tests on the SAM-7.5, has been run. The
feed consisted of a complex sulphide ore that comes from the APIRSA mine, owned by Boliden
Mineral, located in the iberic pyritic belt (Spain). Before feeding the SAM, the ore was primary
ground in a conventional ball mill in a closed circuit with a screen and a hydrocyclone. About 100
litres of pulp was fed to the mill before sampling to obtain steady-state conditions. The grinding
media in the SAM was 8 mm cylpebs, commonly used for pilot scale grinding test on the mill. The
influence of three grinding parameters has been studied during this campaign:
· The load of grinding media,
· The pulp percent solids,
· The solids feedrate.

The product size distribution and the power consumption have been measured. Table 1 presents the
values of the three operating parameters and the power consumption for each test.
 Test number Media load % solids Feed rate Power
(kg) (kg/h) consumption (kW)
1 140 20 20 7.05
2 140 20 50 7.1
3 140 20 80 7.08
4 105 20 20 4.2
5 105 20 50 4.26
6 105 20 80 4.25
7 70 20 20 2.15
8 70 20 50 2.19
9 70 20 80 2.3
10 140 30 20 6.93
11 140 30 50 6.96
12 140 30 80 6.92
13 105 30 20 4.14
14 105 30 50 4.16
15 105 30 80 4.17
16 70 30 20 2.21
17 70 30 50 2.23
18 70 30 80 2.32
19 140 40 20 6.83
20 140 40 50 6.62
21 140 40 80 6.67
22 105 40 20 3.17
23 105 40 50 3.17
24 105 40 80 3.16
25 70 40 20 2.25
26 70 40 50 2.29
27 70 40 80 2.28
Table 1. Experimental conditions of each test

A determination of the residence time distribution of the solids was made on 5 tests. Barite was added
during a short period as a tracer of the material flow (see figure 2). The output from the mill was
sampled eleven times during 14 or 28 minutes and the grades of barium in the dried samples were
analysed.
 Pump 2
SAM 7.5

Barite for
RTD measurement

'T' connection
for impuls
input of baryte

Pump 1

RTD sample buckets

Feed pulp
Figure 2. Experimental set-up

MODELLING OF THE SAM

GENERAL STRUCTURE OF A MODEL

The model has been developed with the aim to simulate complete flotation circuits thus to be included
in a steady-state simulator. In advanced simulators, mathematical models of each unit operation are
associated to predict the total plant performances according to the ore feed characteristics, to the
equipment sizes and settings and to the operating parameters. One such steady state simulator is
USIM PAC for Windows (Guillaneau, 1992). The inputs of a model in USIM PAC are the feed rates
of the ore and of the water, the feed size distribution, and the mineral grades per size class (figure 3).
Physical properties of the ore (e.g., Work index, Kinetic constants) as well as model parameters (e.g.,
equipment sizes and settings) are also taken into account. The parameter adjustment is carried out by
fitting the ore behaviour observed in pilot or industrial plants. The algorithms for the fitting procedure
are included in the software.
 Physical properties

Input

• Flowrates
• Sizes, MO DEL Output (s)
• Grades,
• etc.

Parameters

Figure 3. Model input and output in USIM PAC

THE POPULATION BALANCE APPROACH

The literature survey (Austin et al. 1984, Herbst and Bascur, 1979), has conducted to select a
population balance approach as a base for the model. These kinds of model are based on the batch
grinding equation. The idea is that the net rate of production of size i material is equal to the sum of
appearance from breakage of larger size classes, subtracted with the rate of its own disappearance by
breakage.
Mathematically this is expressed as:
i -1
dwi
= - Si wi (t ) + å bi , j S j w j ( t )
dt j =1
i >1
(1)
where the first term in the right hand side is the disappearance by breakage and the second the sum of
production to the size class j from all the larger classes. Si is the breakage rate of particles in size class
i, wi the mass hold-up, and bi,j the breakage distribution function.
The population balance model is the only grinding model that accurately describes the mill
performances when the feed size distribution is changed. This is very important for simulation of
grinding circuits. Another advantage of the population balance model is that the breakage function is
considered as ore specific only and therefore unchanged with mill conditions and grinding time,
leaving just a scale factor of S to be determined. The S values are assumed to be proportional to the
mill power divided by the mass of the particles in the mill, giving a possibility to predict the scale-up
performance for the mill if the power draw can be estimated.
When integrating the batch grinding equation to simulate continuous equation, the Residence Time
Distribution (RTD) gives a description of the mass transport through the mill. The RTD gives the
proportion of particles entering the mill at time zero to exit the mill at time t. It is shown that for many
mills the residence time distribution can be approximated to a series of perfect mixers, and therefore
unit responses, h(t), for different systems of perfect mixers are derived. For the system of m identical
perfect mixers in series the unit impulse response is:
 - m- t
m-1
æ m ö m.t .e t
h( t ) = ç ÷ .
ètø (m - 1) ! (2)
where t is the mean residence time.
A simplified solution to the batch grinding equation (1), completed with the residence time
distribution of m equal mixers in series gives:
P( xi ) = 1 - ( 1 - F ( xi ) / ( 1 + Si -1t / m )m ) (3)
Where F(xi) is the feed size distribution.

POWER CALCULATION
The Sala Agitated Mill has, according to Bogen J. (1994), a 1/1 scale-up performance. The grinding
product from a 7.5 kW SAM with flow rate q is the same than the product from a 75 kW mill with
flow rate 10.q, if the grinding conditions (ball size, pulp density, feed, etc.) are the same. The 1/1 ratio
indicates strongly that the energy approach used in ball milling simulation (Herbst, 1979) is also valid
for the SAM, and states that the B (breakage matrix) values are constant and S proportional to the
power divided by the solid flow rate. This conclusion is very important as it can be used for scaling up
using pilot scale mill.
A power function for the SAM was built, taking into account the following hypothesis: The energy
consumed by the grinding is mainly due to the friction between the balls in the mill, and the friction
between two balls is determined by the pressure from the load over the balls. Friction multiplied with
length is energy, thus giving that the ball speed will be related to the power of the mill. This
assumption does not consider the resistance force from the mill shell, but only the friction between the
balls originated from the pressure lying on it. The formula obtained is a function of (see figure 4):
mill parameters (i.e., h the total height, rm the mill radius, rr the rotor radius, rs the stirrers radius,
n the rotational speed of the rotor), media parameters (i.e., hf the height of the media load, µ a friction
coefficient, g the unit area per unit volume (1/m), r2 the density of the media phase, p0 the porosity of
the media) and pulp parameter (i.e., r1 the pulp density)
 r1

h
r2
hf

rr
rs
rm

Figure 4. Characteristics of the mill

GRINDING EFFICIENCY
It is known (Persson, 1994), that the grinding performance in the SAM does not depend on the energy
input only, but is strongly depending on a factor that can be called the grinding efficiency. The model
uses the assumption that the attrition-based grinding is efficient on the whole media surface area, and
that the breakage rate is directly proportional to this area. If a batch of fixed volume containing n
spherical balls, all with the same diameter d is considered, the total area in the batch will be
proportional to d-1 An decreasing media diameter will thus give a higher grinding efficiency.
The effect on the grinding efficiency with changes in pulp density is more difficult to simulate as it is
related probably more to the pulp viscosity than to the pulp density. It is known that the mill grinds
more efficiently with high pulp density, but that the grinding deteriorates if the density grows too high
due to flowability problems (Persson, 1994). A simple formula shows a pattern similar to the
description of the influence of pulp density:
æ
( )
2 2 ö
E ff = ç - csol - copt + copt
è ø
2
÷ copt
(4)
where csol is the actual concentration of solids in the feed and copt the "optimal pulp density" for the
most efficient grinding. For the cases studied a default value of copt = 60 % was good enough to
describe the grinding performance. Nevertheless copt is kept as one parameter of the model and may
be changed for some minerals and feed size distributions. It must be pointed out that this function
does not have any theoretical basis at all except being a function that seems to be flexible enough to
describe the effect of a change in pulp density. Figure 5 shows how the function of equation (4) will
change with different values of copt.
 1

Grinding efficiency (Eff)

0.75

0.5

0.25

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Concentration of solids (Csol in %)
Copt=20%
Copt=40%
Copt=70%
Copt=100 %

Figure 5. Grinding efficiency versus pulp density for different optimal pulp densities

In the model of the SAM, the grinding efficiency function is multiplied by the calculated power and
the result will be multiplied with the ore specific kinetic constant, Ke.

SELECTION FUNCTION AND LIMIT OF GRINDING

The selection function dependence on particle size was expressed as:
Si = K(xi-d)a, (xi-d) > 0 (5)
where K and a are constants, and d is a correction factor for the finest particle sizes. Determination of
d is only needed when very small products particle sizes are expected.

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Pa rticle size (µm)

d=0 um d=1 um d=2 um

Figure 6. Effect of parameter d on the selection function

The value of d does not correspond to the actual limit of grinding, but only reduces the errors
generated by the slower rate of disappearance in these regions. The shape of the selection function
curve in the smallest size regions is shown in figure 6.
 VALIDATION OF THE MODEL

RESIDENCE TIME DISTRIBUTION

The results from the RTD tests were compared with three different mixers in series approaches:
1. m equal sized mixers in series,
2. one big mixer in series with two smaller mixers of the same size,
3. two different sized mixers in series.
It was found that the first model always fitted the results better (See figure 7). It was also observed
that the grades of barite did not drop in the tail of the curve as much as the model predicted. The
effect may be due to a return flow of material within the mill, which causes a recycle effect.

0.06
Ba grade (%)

0.04

0.02

0
0 500 1000 1500
Time (s)
Two different sized mixers
One big, two smaller mixers
N equal mixers in series
Measured values

Figure 7. Example of Residence Time Distribution

The resulting numbers of corresponding perfect mixers to the mill were found between 2 and 3.5.
According to Käser (1993), the number of corresponding perfect mixers in the SAM changes with
flowrate and stirrer rotational speed.
A propriety of the SAM is its internal classification. To approximate the importance of the effect,
Stokes law was applied. This law describes the settling velocity of a particle in the laminar region.
Even if the conditions in the mill due to the movement caused by the rotor are in reality not laminar, a
calculation of the residence times for different sized particles shows a clear pattern. This will produce
a steep size distribution curve with a higher grinding rate of the largest particles.
POWER EQUATION
The power equation was fitted to the experimental data available. The parameters were: Mill
diameter, mill height, degree of filling, grinding media density, rotational speed of rotor, and pulp
density. Very good result was found for the data from the grinding of the APIRSA ore.
The level of significance was very high (R2 = 0.99). The expression was also fitted with the data from
a full size mill. It was found that the equation was capable to simulate the power draw. In figure 8,
simulated power is plotted versus the measured power from the tests at pilot and industrial scales.

50

40
Simulated power (kW)

30

20

10
SAM 7.5
SAM 30
SAM 75
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Measured power (kW)

Figure 8. Simulated power versus actual from all available data on power

PRODUCT SIZE DISTRIBUTION

BRGM pilot plant data
The model was applied on the experimental data from the grinding of the APIRSA ore at the pilot
plant scale. The results were in most cases very satisfactory. The kinetic constants were found by
fitting the data from test 10 (see figure 9), and were applied on the rest of the data series. Test 15 is
one of the examples.

Test 10 Test 15

100 100

90 90

80 80

70 70

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0
1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000
Pa rticle size (µm) Pa rticle size (µm)

Feed Product Simulated Feed Product Simulated

Figure 9. Feeds, real and simulated products for tests 10 and 15

Pilot plant data from the literature

To validate the model it was applied on data from calcium carbonate grinding (Käser, 1993). The data
is interesting as it varies different parameters than the previous test campaign. The data series used in
the validation was the ones where those parameters were concerned. In figure 10 the measured and
simulated values of the grinding products from test with different grinding media sizes and different
stirrer rotational speeds are plotted. In each case, the results are rather good. The operating parameters
are presented table 2.

Rotor Tip Media Size

Speed (m/s) (mm)
Test 3 2.4 3
Test 6 1.5 3
Test 10 2.4 8
Table 2. Operating parameter for 3 tests (Calcium carbonate, pilot scale)
 100

90

80
Cumulative Percent Passing
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 .1 1 10 100 1000
Particle size µm

f eed pro duc t 6 sim ulat ed 6 Pro duc t 1 0

Sim ulat ed 1 0 pro duc t 3 sim ulat ed 3

Figure 10 Simulated and actual size distribution of mill discharge, Test 3, 6 and 10.

Industrial data from the Zinkgruvan mine (Sweden)

The model was tested on data from grinding of Zinc ore with a full size 75 kW SAM (Bendel, 1993).
The test series describes grinding from different rotor speeds and different media load. The model
was working well when the load was reasonably high. It was found in test campaign that the grinding
efficiency was reduced when the rotor velocity increased for the cases where the filling of grinding
media was low (~50 % of the mill volume). Figure 11 shows an example of simulation of the overall
grinding performances. The operating parameters are presented in table 3:

Rotor speed Media load

(rpm) (kg)
Test 2_2 75 1800
Test 3_4 60 2300
Table 3. Operating parameter for 2 tests (Zinc ore, industrial scale)

Note that the feeds in the two experiments are not the same. The grinding parameters were found by
fitting the data from test 2_2 and were then used to predict the grinding from the test 3_4.
 100 100
90 90
80 80
Percent passing

Percent passing
70 70
60 60
50 50
2-2 sim 3-4 sim
40 40
30 2-2 prod 30 3-4 prod
20 20
10 10
0 0
10 100 10 100

Particle size Particle size

Figure 11. Simulated and actual size distribution of mill discharge

CONCLUSION

Fine grinding is now and will be more and more present in the mineral industry. To meet an
increasing demand, SALA International AB has developed a new equipment: the SALA Agitated
Mill. This equipment, as well as the other stirred mills, is energy consuming. Building a model which
takes into account the energy consumption was then an interesting challenge. The work carried out
during this study represents an important step in the fine grinding modelling. It has proved that the
population balance approach is efficient in this field. An interesting power formula has been
developed, taking into account a large number of parameters.
The model has been developed and included in the USIM PAC process simulator software making it
possible to simulate complete flowsheet. To validate it, several sets of data have been used: pilot plant
data obtained from tests at BRGM on complex sulphide ore, pilot plant data about calcium carbonate
grinding collected in literature and industrial data coming from the Zinkgruvan Mine. In any case,
power formula and kinetic approach have been validated.

A further step to this development would be to include in the model a connection with flotation
models regarding the surface activation and a mineral liberation aspect, with the aim to see the effect
of regrinding in flotation circuit, both with and columns and conventional cells.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank the Commission of the European Communities for the partial financial
support of the IMPEXFLOTCOL research program and SALA, Boliden, Zinkgruvan Mines which
allow this publication. The paper is the BRGM contribution no. 95025, for which the work was in part
financed by a BRGM research project.
 REFERENCES

Holmberg, K, 1993. Comparison of fine grinding equipment: VertiMill, SAM Mill, Vibrating Mill
and Ball Mill. Soc. Royale Belge des Ingénieurs Study day

Guillaneau, J-C, Villeneuve, J, Blot, P, 1992. Advances in the Design and Optimization of Mineral
Processing Plants, Proceedings of the APCOM 92, 23rd International Symposium on the
Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry, April 7-11, Tucson,
Arizona, U.S.A., Chapter 54, pp. 549-566.

Bogen, J, 1994. Private communication, Sala International AB

Austin, L G, Klimpel, R R and Luckie, P T, 1984. Process Engineering of Size Reduction: Ball
Milling. AIME New York, Chap. 4, 8.

Herbst, J A and Bascur, O A, 1979. A program for the simulation of steady-state grinding circuit
behaviour, using a small computer, Report of Department of Metallurgical Engineering,
University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Persson, H, 1994. Private communication, Luleå University of Technology, Div. of Mineral

Processing, Luleå, Sweden.

Käser O, 1993. Untersuchungen zu Zerkleinerungsverhalten und Materialtransport in einer

langsamlaufenden, vertikalen Rührwerkmühle vom Typ SAM 7.5, Luleå University of
Technology, Div. of Mineral Processing, Luleå, Sweden.

Bendel, S and Mellberg, F, 1993. Ommalning och finmalning med agiterad kvarn, Internal report
Union Minière Sverige AB.