Vertimill™ pilot scale tests simulated by perfect mixing model

Abstract

Minas-Rio Project, Anglo American property, located in Brazil, considers Vertimill™ to make the particle size distribution adequate to feed slurry pipeline. A pilot test campaign was carried out at Metso's pilot plant facility located in York city, Pennsylvania State, USA, to provide information to scale up the industrial grinding circuit. The perfect mixing model, normally used to simulate ball mills, was used to compare the direct and reverse circuit configurations. The simulations were based on the appearance function determined from the laboratory tests using a batch tube mill. The combined breakage rate/discharge rate function (r/d) was determined from Vertimill™ feed and product particle size distributions obtained from pilot tests. The residence time was estimated considering the mill hold-up and solids flow rate. The simulation results show that there are no significant differences between direct and reverse circuits for the sample tested.