A combined tracer and back-calculation method for determining particulate breakage functions in ball milling.: Part III. Simulation of an open-circuit continuous milling system

The combined tracer and backcalculation method for determining particulate breakage parameters described in Part I of this paper and applied to batch ball milling in Part II is extended here to the open-circuit continuous ball milling of martite iron ore. Breakage parameters are determined by this method in the continuous ball mill in the batch mode of operation. Residence time distributions are obtained in the continuous mode of operation with radioactive tracers. Segregated flow, models based on the dispersion model and the tanks-in-series model are given for use with the breakage parameter and residence time distribution data to predict product weight—size distributions. A particular model based on three perfectly mixed tanks in series is used to describe a mill with entrance and exit trunnions and is compared to both transient and steady-state experimental results. The comparison indicates that this method of simulation will be useful.