Effect of vibratory ball mill grinding parameters of hydrated lime ultrafine grinding on consumed energy

This study investigated the grinding behavior of hydrated lime in a vibratory ball mill, focusing on the relationships between grinding energy consumption and grinding efficiency in terms of specific surface area evolution and ultrafine particle size reduction under various operational parameters, including grinding time (10–30 min), ball filling (60–80%), and material filling (10–40%). The initial median particle size (d₅₀) and specific surface area of hydrated lime (297 µm and 0.54 m²/g, respectively) were significantly enhanced through the grinding process, with the maximum increase in specific surface area (ΔS = 2.17 m²/g) and reduction in final particle size (d₅₀ = 6.37 µm) achieved at the shortest grinding time (10 min) under optimum conditions of 80% ball filling and 30% material filling, with relatively low energy consumption (E_m < 2.5 kWh/t). The results demonstrated that higher energy inputs due to prolonged grinding times did not necessarily correspond to proportional increases in specific surface area due to particle agglomeration effects, indicating the presence of critical grinding parameters affecting energy utilization efficiency. This was confirmed by SEM analysis, which revealed significant morphological alterations in hydrated lime particles, characterized by substantial size reduction in the early stages of grinding followed by the formation of densely packed agglomerates.