Evaluation of fine-grinding products in horizontal stirred mill: Particle size distribution prediction, parameter optimization, industrial comparison, and fluid motion simulation

Fine grinding was an essential process in the development and utilization of mineral resources, and a horizontal stirred mill, as a representative equipment for fine grinding, was widely used in the fields of mining and metallurgy. In this study, the prediction and optimization of the particle size distribution for the grinding product in a horizontal stirred mill was carried out. A prediction equation of particle size distribution for grinding products in a horizontal stirred mill was established based on grinding kinetics principles, with a relative error of 5 %. The effect of grinding process parameters on the grinding efficiency was investigated. The results indicated that the grinding parameters had a significant effect on the particle size distribution of the grinding product. Under the optimum conditions (mill speed 1700 rpm, grinding concentration 36 %, pulp handling capacity 20 L/h, and media filling ratio 54 %), the content of −45 + 15 μm was 40.01 %, and the uniformity index n was 0.99, with a uniform particle size distribution. The fluid motion simulation results indicated that the high-velocity gradient and high turbulence intensity occurred near the stirring disk with a better grinding effect, relatively, the grinding effect near the barrel wall was poor.