Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

In milling operations, comminution, i.e. breaking of ores into smaller particles for liberation of target minerals is the most energy consuming process. Conventional comminution including crushing- semi-autogenous grinding circuits account almost 30-40 % of the overall energy consumption in mines. For large copper, such those found in British Columbia, comminution uses about 70 % of all electrical energy consumed. The Canadian Mining Innovation Council have identified energy efficiency as one of their key target areas for research in the mining industry. The proposed research is aimed at advancing an energy efficient technology which can significantly reduce energy use in minig. The high pressure grinding roller press (HPGR) is an emerging comminution technology in the hard rock metal mining industry, competing with semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) in the preparation of ball-mill feed. Several potential advantages have been identified for the consideration of HPGRs in place of a SAG circuit, including significant reductions in energy consumption (by up to 30 %) and improved downstream process kinetics, particularly for hard, disseminated ores. Despite these benefits, the rate of implementation of the technology is slow. The lack of an appropriate suite of small scale tests and associated procedures for the preliminary selection and sizing of HPGRs is an important reason for this. Thus, the main objective of this program is to develop a testing procedure and establish criteria for preliminary sizing and selection of HPGRs. Additional aspects such as the quantification of impact of feed preparation by HPGR on liberation and total extraction in downstream processes will also be evaluated. It is expected that this program will provide a simple and effective tool for wider consideration of HPGRs and motivate implementation of this energy efficient technology in place of conventional comminution equipment. The outcomes of this program has the potential to help reduce the foot print of milling operations in compliance with Canada's aggressive strategy towards using energy effective technologies in mineral industry. In addition, the reduced energy consumption in comminution will also contribute to the competitiveness and the long term sustainability of Canada's mineral industry.