Modeling & Simulation of Mineral processing Systems

Part 1: The Basics of Particle Size (Syllabus 2.1 – 2.4) 2.1 Introduction: The "Too Many Rocks" Problem In mineral processing (crushing, grinding, flotation), we deal with billions of particles at any given second. It is physically impossible to measure the diameter and weight of every single rock in a 100-ton truckload. To solve this, we stop looking at individuals and start looking at the Population . Analogy: Think of a Census. The government doesn't list every citizen's name on the news; they say "20% of the population is under age 18." In Mining: We don't list every rock; we say "20% of the ore is smaller than 1mm." We use Distribution Functions to describe the crowd mathematically. 2.2 Distribution Functions (The Cumulative Curve) Because particles are irregular shapes (not perfect spheres), we define "size" by sieving . If a rock passes through a square hole of width d, it is considered "smaller than d." The Cumula...

Chapter 2: Particle Populations & Distribution Functions 1. Introduction: The Problem of "Too Many Rocks" In mineral processing (crushing, grinding, flotation), we deal with billions of particles at once. It is physically impossible to measure the size and mineral content of every single rock in a grinding mill. Instead of tracking individuals, we use Statistics . We treat the rocks like a population of people. We don't ask, "How tall is John?"; we ask, "What percentage of the population is between 5 and 6 feet tall?" Key Terms External Coordinates: Where the particle is located physically in the machine (x, y, z). Internal Coordinates: What the particle is made of and what it looks like. The two most important internal coordinates are: Size: Determines how it breaks. Composition (Grade): Determines how we separate it (e.g., valuable copper vs. waste rock). Real-World Example: Imagine a bag of mixed coins. You don't describe the bag by lis...