A quantification of the benefits of high pressure rolls crushing in an operating environment

Abstract

The potential benefits of high pressure rolls crushing (HPRC) technology cited in the scientific literature have generated serious interest over the last decade or so amongst the technical advisors to the mining sector. As with all newly developed technology, a level of skepticism exists amongst the decision makers which manifests itself as a deterrent and a ‘leap of faith’ by someone is required in order to get a project off the ground and prove up a new application. The successful production trial of the Recrush HPRC Project has gone a long way to cementing the rightful place of HPRC as a serious contender to conventional forms of comminution in hard rock processing environments by reducing the technical/processing unknowns to a level more acceptable to the conservative majority. This paper presents a brief history of the application of HPRC at the Argyle Diamond Mine located in Western Australia. The focus is on the recent plant trial of the Recrush HPRC where new technology tungsten carbide studded tyres have been evaluated on a quaternary crushing duty. Here a direct comparison against conventional quaternary cone crushing is presented for the first time. The significant energy efficiency benefits claimed by the HPRC manufacturers have been confirmed. In fact the magnitude of the benefit, determined by detailed evaluation of the production data, is compelling. One serious issue emerged which, based on the production performance to date, may continue to pose as a deterrent to potential users of the technology. The roller edge wear issue is discussed and the potential for a solution to the problem is presented. The success of the design modifications made to the roller edges to alleviate the wear issue will not be known until mid 2003.