Science and Production Association "RIVS" JSC, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Skarin O. I., Head of the Ore Preparation Division, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: rivs@rivs.ru

Arustamyan K. M., Mechanical Engineer

The estimation methodology of ore crushability in ore crushing cycles is developed on the basis of the definition of the required specific energy consumption, in dependence from the ore crushability and the mills operation parameters. The purpose of this methodology is the definition of the sizes of semi self crushing mills and ball mills. The analysis of the modern crushability assessment methods indicates that in the crushing practice, there was founded the wide usage of the laboratory definition methods of ore crushability in the semi self crushing mills. These methods ensure the satisfactory correspondence of the projected and exploitation data. The assessment of ore crushability with the ball crushing is still being held, using the standard Bond method. The principle difference and quality of the laboratory method is the estimation possibility of the ore strength changing within the deposit, in its various development periods, which is provided by the research of the certain number of low capacity samples, including the core material samples. The number of the researched samples should representatively characterize the distribution of strength within the ore body. It is defined by the exploration degree of the deposit, on the projecting stage. As opposed to the existing application practice of only one estimation method, it is reasonable to apply some testing methods, which increases the forecast precision of the specific energy consumption for the calculation of mills in the semi self crushing cycles. The requirement for the reliable projecting of the semi self crushing cycles is the presence of the database, which includes the research results of ore crushability on the projecting stage and the data about the industrial exploitation of the projected ore preparation cycles.

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