Attainable Region Approach in Analyzing the Breakage Behavior of a Bed of Olivine Sand Particles: Optimizing Impact Energy and Particle Size

Endene Emmanuel,Agusril Syamsir,Suvash Chandra Paul,Vivi Anggraini,Afshin Asadi

doi:10.3390/min10121096

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the breakage behavior of a bed of olivine sand particles using a drop-weight impact test, with drop weights of various shapes (oval, cube, and sphere). An Attainable Region (AR) technique, which is a model-free and equipment-independent technique, was then applied to optimize the impact energy during the breakage process and also to get particles in defined particle size classes. The findings revealed that the different drop weights produce products within the three different particle size classes (feed, intermediate, and fine). A higher mass fraction of materials in the fine-sized class (−75 μm) was obtained when the spherical drop weight was used relative to the cubic and oval drop weights. The drop height was found to have a significant influence on the breakage process. The AR technique proved to be a practical approach for optimizing impact energy and particle size during the breakage of a bed of olivine particles, with potential application in sustainable soil stabilization projects.

Highlights

In recent years, the use of sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient materials for a wide range of geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering applications, including soil stabilization, has received increased attention
We extended the application of the Attainable Region (AR) technique to optimize impact energy and particle size on the breakage behavior of a bed of olivine sand particles using a drop-weight impact test
Since the reactivity between olivine and the soil increases with a decrease in olivine particle size, we propose that a fine size class of −75 μm could be an ideal comminution olivine product size distribution for use in sustainable soil stabilization projects

Summary

Introduction

The use of sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient materials for a wide range of geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering applications, including soil stabilization, has received increased attention. A good number of researchers have made an effort to report the application of reactive minerals, such as olivine, wollastonite, magnesia, and serpentine, as improvers for weak soils [1,2,3,4,5]. Olivine has been demonstrated to be the most promising candidates, with valuable environmental assets among the varieties mentioned above [6,7,8]. Despite such positive findings in the use of olivine, an important factor to be considered in the widespread application of olivine in soil stabilization is olivine particle size, since the reactivity between olivine and soil largely depends on its particle size. In order to attain an adequate reactivity between the olivine and Minerals 2020, 10, 1096; doi:10.3390/min10121096 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals

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