Modelling of high voltage pulse breakage of ores

A high voltage pulse (HVP) breakage model was developed as a general modelling structure to represent the three HVP breakage indices: body breakage probability (the D₁-model), body breakage product fineness (the D₂-model), and body breakage product pre-weakening degree (the D₃-model). Relations between the HVP breakage indices and HVP pre-concentration characterisation curves were established. The preliminary result indicated that the HVP breakage model has the potential to predict the recovery of valuable metals from the calibrated model parameters. A t_n-family of curves (t_n is defined as cumulative percentage of product passing 1/n of the initial size) was used to describe the HVP breakage product size distribution. The t_n-family of curves can be employed to estimate the product size distribution from the predicted t₁₀ values by the D₂-model.