MIHLALI SIPAYILE

221463488

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CEL261S

ROD MILLING

Short Report Mark allocation Student’s marks

Title page 5
Synopsis 10
Introduction 10
Results 45
Discussion 25
Conclusion 5
Total 100
SYNOPSYS

By using crushers and/or grinders, material is reduced in size through comminution. Mineral processing
is one of comminution's key applications. Here, the mine's ore is ground into tiny pieces to release the
rich minerals, allowing for their extraction. The feed material's particles are initially stretched and
deformed during crushing. The effort required to exert pressure on them is momentarily stored in the
solid as mechanical energy of stress. The stressed particles get twisted beyond their ultimate strength as
more force is applied, and they abruptly shatter into pieces. Thus, new surfaces are produced. The final
step in the comminution process is grinding. Combining impact and abrasion reduces the average
particle size.

Milling is usually performed on a wet basis, when the mill is rotated, the mill charge is intimately mixed,
the medium comminuting the particles by any of the above methods depending on the speed of the mill.
Most of the kinetic energy of the tumbling load is dissipated as heat, noise and other losses. Only small
fraction of the energy used actually results In breaking the particle.
INTRODUCTION

Rod Mills are basically used in those industries where the feed for the reactions is
required in the form of fines. So, it is also said as a grinder. It is mostly used where the product is
required in the form of course fines. They have a number of rods present inside the mill which may be
fixed or free to move which act as a source to grind the feed particles in the form offline.

Movable Rod Milling this type of the Rod Mill, the rods are able to move freely inside the mill. So,
it will result in more reduction ratio and less energy consumption because the rods are able to interact
with more number of particles.
Results

Data and Data analysis

o Mill speed = 32.25 rpm

o 4 rods with a diameter of 1.5 cm and a length of 29 cm

o 2 rods with a diameter of 2.47 cm and a length of 31 cm

o 1 rod with a diameter of 1.9 cm and a length of 33 cm

o 2 rods with a diameter of 1.9 cm and a length of 29 cm

Mass of container + Silica sand = 559g

Mass of container = 59g

Mass of silica sand = 500g

1st 2 min in Sieve

∑ Mn =2392g

∑Rn = 511g

Appendix A

Sieve Mass of Mass of Mass Mass of Cumulative % of sand

size(µm) sieve + sieve(g) retained(g) sand mass passing
sand(g) retained(%) retained(%)
1000 548 360 188 36.79 36.79 63.21
600 551 331 220 43.05 79.84 20.16
425 361 314 47 9.20 89.04 10.96
300 325 291 34 6.65 95.69 4.31
212 300 288 12 2.35 98.04 1.96
125 295 290 5 0.98 99.02 0.98
75 264 261 3 0.59 99.61 0.39
Pan 259 257 2 0.39 100 0
 Distribution Curve
70

60
Cumulative mass% retained

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Sieve Size(µm)

Figure 1: Graph of cumulative% Vs % of sand passing in the 1st 0min.

2nd 2min

∑ Mn = 2392g

∑Rn = 507g

Appendix B

Sieve Mass of Mass of Mass Mass of Cumulative % of sand

size(µm) sieve + sieve(g) retained(g) sand mass passing
sand(g) retained(%) retained(%)
1000 460 360 100 19.72 19.72 80.28
600 583 331 252 49.70 69.42 30.58
425 378 314 64 12.62 82.04 17.96
300 339 291 48 9.47 91.51 8.49
212 307 288 19 3.75 95.26 4.74
125 301 290 11 2.17 97.43 2.57
75 268 261 7 1.38 98.81 1.19
Pan 263 257 6 1.18 100 0
 Distribution Curve
90

80

70
Cumulative mass% retained

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Sieve size (µm)

Figure 2: Graph of cumulative% Vs % of sand passing in the 2nd 2min.

3rd 2min

∑Rn = 506g

Appendix C

Sieve Mass of Mass of Mass of Cumulative % of sand

size(µm) sieve + sieve(g) sand mass passing
sand(g) retained(%) retained(%)
1000 396 360 7.11 7.11 92.89
600 586 331 50.40 57.51 42.49
425 402 314 17.39 74.9 25.1
300 353 291 12.25 87.15 12.85
212 313 288 4.94 92.09 7.91
125 307 290 3.36 95.45 4.55
75 273 261 2.37 97.82 2.18
Pan 268 257 2.17 100 0
 Distribution Curve
100
90
80
Cumulative mass% retained

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Sieve size (µm)

Figure 3: Graph of cumulative% Vs % of sand passing in the 3rd 4min.

Last 4min

∑Rn = 501g

Appendix D

Sieve Mass of Mass of Mass Mass of Cumulative % of sand

size(µm) sieve + sieve(g) retained(g) sand mass passing
sand(g) retained(%) retained(%)
1000 364 360 4 0.8 0.8 99.20
600 508 331 177 35.33 36.13 63.87
425 444 314 130 25.95 62.08 37.92
300 379 291 88 17.56 79.64 20.36
212 326 288 38 7.58 87.22 12.78
125 317 290 27 5.39 92.61 7.39
75 286 261 25 4.99 97.60 2.40
Pan 269 257 12 2.40 100 0
 Distribution curve
120

100
Cumulative mass% retained

80

60

40

20

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Sieve size(µm)

Figure 4: graph of cumulative% Vs % of sand passing in last 8min.

Discussion

Based on the given products after 0min,2min,4min and 8 minutes of grinding the increases of fine
fractions and comminution level were calculated for figure 1, figure 2, figure 3 and figure 4. The results
were presented in Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C and Appendix D and on figure 1-5. Analyzing for
Figure 4 the process of milling it after 8min is worthy to notice that figure 1 with mass retained 511g was
comminute the most in the rod mill giving increase of fine material by 16.25% in fraction 0-75µm and
99.20% in fraction 1000µm. Also, the total mass level confirms these observations, which was the
highest and was equal to 511g (appendix A). Similarly, in the case of silica sand retained in figure 3,
characterized by the same increase after 4 minutes of grinding in fraction 0-75µm (19.40%). Also, the
higher increase of this fraction was observed after 2minutes (21.79%) in comparison with the sand from
figure 4 what could be caused by the higher grindability of the sand.
 Mean Before milling 1st trail 2min 2nd trail 4min 3rd trail 8min
Diameter(µm)
Arithmetic mean 400.05 320 250 200
diameter(D10)
Volume mean 700 600 480 380
diameter (D30)
Mass mean 950 845 740 570
diameter(D60)

Variation of mean diameter Vs Time

1000 950
900 845
800 740
700
Mean diameter(µm)

700
600 570
600
480
500
400.05 380
400 320
300 250
200
200
100
0
0 2 4 8
Time(min)

arithmetic mean Volume mean Mass mean

Figure 5: Variation of mean diameter vs time.