IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY BASED ON THE MOVEMENT OF MATERIALS INSIDE A GRINDING CEMENT MILL

Abstract

The problem addressed by this research is how to increase the production of cement mills in the Kufa cement plant when changed the pattern of production and what are the reasons that led to the reduction of productivity. After investigating the research problem, it is found that the change in the pattern of production has led to a change in the size of clinker granules from (15-50 mm) in the case of ordinary cement to (5-15 mm) in the case of sulphate resistant cement. As a result, a change in the behaviour of clinker movement would occur inside the cement mill, that is, the fineness clinker penetrates the grinding balls, and thus reducing the grinding efficiency of the balls, with a diameter of 100 mm, and then productivity. The results of this research have shown that the waiver of balls with a diameter of 100 mm and compensation of smaller balls while maintaining the same weight of the charge led to the increase of the total surface area of the balls increasing as such productivity from 60 t/h to 85 t/h. In conclusion, it appeared that the findings of this study match those of Cleary (2009), which state that the potential energy retained by small balls is greater than that retained by large ones. Thus, the efficiency of the grinding will be increased. In addition, the reduction of the diameter of the balls will prevent the penetration of the clinker between the balls unless they are crushed into soft granules. This will maximize benefit from the kinetic and potential energy of the grinding balls.