EQUATION OF COMMINUTION KINETICS WITH DELAY

By Ph.D. Igor Bobin, Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

Rock is a variety of different minerals united together. A comminution process
is used to liberate one mineral from another. The size of the pieces of rock decreases
with the comminution and mineral particles are released.
The purpose of the comminution is to obtain the finished product of a certain
size. The finished product is directed to the separation of one mineral from another.
Crushing and grinding operations are expensive, so the kinetics of grinding
(rushing, comminution) is very important for the management.
The comminution kinetics reflects the change of the content of the size
fraction (size class) of finished product in time: C = f(t).
The main objective of the comminution kinetics is a quantitative description of
the comminution process. Many comminution processes can be described by an
exponential function. Experience shows that almost all comminution systems have an
inertia. Often, however, besides an inertia, comminution processes occur with a some
delay of time. It should be accounted in modeling.
Ph.D. Igor Bobin has proposed the following his own equation with delay for
analytical calculations of the comminution kinetics C(t) [1]

where (t) is the content of the size fraction of ready product, %; c 0 is initial level of content,
which is set from the experimental data of the comminution process, % (see. Fig. 1); T is the time
constant of comminution (the constant of inertia), secs; is the time delay of comminution, secs;
t is the time, secs.

The parameters c0, and T are determined graphically on the experimental

kinetic curve of the comminution process by known metod.
Example
There are mineral ores of two kinds with their experimental dependences of the
comminution kinetics.
In this case, parameter values of approximating equation (1) for first ore is
amounted to:
c0 =9.54 %, =60 secs, T=180 secs.

Let's substitute these parameter values in the Bobins equation (1), and we get
the mathematical model of the comminution kinetics C1(t)

The analytical dependence and experimental of comminution kinetics for first

ore obtained by simulation at MATLAB are shown on Figure 1.

Fig. 1. The dependences of the comminution kinetics for first ore

Parameter values of approximating equation (1) for second ore is amounted to:
c0 =3.97 %, =0 secs, T=630 secs.
Let's substitute these parameter values in the Bobins equation (1), and we get
the mathematical model of the comminution kinetics

Actually the equation (3) is converted to the equation (4) in this case

The analytical dependence and experimental of comminution kinetics for

second ore obtained by simulation at MATLAB are shown on Figure 2.

Fig. 2. The dependences of the comminution kinetics for second ore

Bobin equation (1) is well-suited for modeling the kinetics of comminution

C(t) of processes with delay. Thus, the proposed method of modeling is convinient
and it has enough accuracy for engineering calculations and scientific.

References
1. Bobin, I., Petrovskaya, N. (2016). Kinetics of ore comminution, Web Resource
CONCENTRATION OF MINERALS https://sites.google.com/site/concentrationofminerals/home
Ph.D. Igor Bobin, Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya
18.12.2016
nataliapetrovsky@gmail.com