Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci.& Geomech. Abstr. Vol. 13, pp. 249-251. Pergamon Press 1976.

Printed in Great Britain

Technical Note
A Critical Appraisal of the Protodyakonov Index
A. G. PAITHANKAR*
G. B. MISRA'~

INTRODUCTION of poundings on the Protodyakonov index of a certain

The Protodyakonov index is a simple rock character-
istic which has immense possibility of practical appli-
cation, particularly in predicting rock drillability in per-
cussive drilling. The A. A. Skochinsky Mining Institute,
Moscow [1] have established an empirical relation
between drillability in percussive drilling and the Pro-
todyakonov index. Paone et al. [2] found good correla-
tion between rate of penetration in percussive drilling
and 'coefficient of rock strength' which is a character-
istic similar to Protodyakonov index. However the ac-
curacy of the Protodyakonov index as determined by
the standard procedure [3] is very much susceptible to
the duration of sieving and degree of compaction of
the fines in the volumometer which, in turn, depends
on the number of tappings. Further, it varies with the
number of blows for the same rock depending on the
hardness of the rock. In the case of soft rocks, there
may be regrinding of fines while in hard rocks the
energy may be to an appreciable extent utilized in elas-
tic deformation and cracking of particles without gener-
ating enough fines.
With a view to eliminating these defects, Summers
[4] compacted the fines in the volumometer by com-
pression with a fixed weight. Selim and Bruce [5]
divided the weight of -500/~m fines by specific gravity
of the rock to convert it into solid volume thus avoid-
ing the use of a volumometer. Misra [6] observed
regrinding of fines with increasing number of pound-
ings beyond a certain limit, so that there is no linear
relationship between the number of poundings and the
height of the column in the volumometer. He therefore
suggested a modified index. Modified indices have also
been suggested by Paone et al. [2] and Evans and
Pomeroy [7] in order to avoid the use of the volum-
ometer. Peshalov [8] on the other hand, recommends
the adoption of a different parameter, the "coefficient
of specific energy consumption", which is the energy
required to crush a unit volume of sample below
- 7 mm size by the method of successive pounding.
SCOPE OF WORK
Experiments were designed to study the variation of average particle size of +5 mm size fractions was
total mass of the assays, size of chunks and number obtained by megascopic measurement while that of
* A. G. Paithankar, Research Scholar, at the Department of Min-
ing Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
t G. B. Misra, Professor and Head of the Department of Mining statistical mean dia as defined by Dallavalle [10] was
Engineering, at above address.
249
rock type. For eliminating the effect of variation of rock
characteristics a fairly homogeneous medium grained
limestone having no structural defects or lineation was
used.
Simultaneously the new surface area generated in the
process of pounding for the determination of Proto-
dyakonov index was measured with a view to establish-
ing a more reliable index such as the 'specific energy'
which may be defined as the energy consumed to pro-
duce unit new surface area.
According to Rittinger's law [9], energy consumed
in crushing is directly proportional to the new surface
area produced. Taking the process of determination of
Protodyakonov index to be essentially a process of
comminution, specific energy should give a more reli-
able index of rock strength than Protodyakonov index.
Therefore it was also considered prudent to study the
specific energy along with the Protodyakonov index in
course of the above study.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
The standard procedure [3] for the determination
of Protodyakonov index was used with an apparatus
fabricated in the laboratory. However, the degree of
packing of - 5 0 0 ~ m fines in the volumometer was
standardised by tapping it 10 times from a height of
5 cm in all cases. For the study of the effect of mass
of assay, three tests, each with five different masses,
were conducted keeping the size of chunks and number
of poundings constant. Similarly three tests each were
carried out with five variations of chunk size and six
variations of poundings, keeping the other factors con-
stant.
Determination of surface area
The new surface area generated was obtained from
the difference of total surface area of particles after
pounding and the total surface area of chunks used.
The product of pounding was divided into several
closely spaced size fractions by mechanical sieving. The
finer fractions, by microscopic measurement. A projec-
tion microscope was used for ease of size analysis. The
measured from a sample of 200 particles. The specific