The Regrinding of Copper Concentrate in a Stirred Ball Mill

Mill circumferential speed, the number of passes of pulp through the grinding chamber, media type, size and filling ratio were investigated in an attempt to determine how to effectively grind copper concentrates in a stirred mill. The stirred mill product fineness was enhanced to some extent by decreasing media size, high media filling, and an increased number of passes of the pulp through the grinding chamber. Shape also plays a major role in grinding media effectiveness, with spherically shaped media producing a finer size. The fineness of the product increases with increasing power consumption but the method of energy transfer is very important in energy utilization. The effect of the mill parameters on copper flotation was evaluated. Copper recovery was influenced by grinding media size, mill speed and the number of pulp passes through the grinding chamber.