Some Basic Factors Influencing The Use And Optimization Of Autogenous Grinding

Boliden Aktiebolag, the prime base metal mining company of Sweden, annually treats some 11-12 million tons of sulphide ore in nine concentrators. Its first flotation plant was established in the early thirties for the complex Boliden ore. Since then, the number of mines and plants has gradually increased. Considerable effort has been devoted to the development of all phases of the technology of ore prospecting, mining, milling, smelting and refining. This has been necessary due to the complex and low-grade ores. The development of concentration has mainly been directed toward the arts of grinding and flotation. During the forties and fifties, open-stage fine crushing followed by two-stage grinding in rod and ball mills with cyclone classification was successfully introduced and used throughout the plants. The increasing cost of grinding media led to studies of an autogenous grinding technique as early as 1945. Basic test work commenced during the early fifties, with a. number of ores tested for pebble grinding. In 1956 a new pilot plant was built, with equipment installed for the continuous testing of pebble grinding and, later, for primary autogenous grinding of run-of-mine ore. The intensive test work showed that pebble grinding was feasible in almost all of the plants. At this early stage of testing, however, the merits of autogenous grinding could not be fully evaluated. As a. consequence the rod mill/ball mill grinding systems were converted to rod mill/pebble mill systems whereever possible. In parallel with the converting of grinding systems the development work concerning the merits of autogenous grinding went on. The major result