Energy efficient rotor design for HIGmills

Abstract Extensive research with HIGmill grinding rotors has shown that flat grinding discs in stirred media mills in hard-rock applications experience poorer process performance compared to castellated rotors. The first industrial size equipment to benefit from this is Kevitsa Cu-Ni mine, where the energy improvement from flat to castellated discs was 28–50%. This observation was investigated further through different size pilot scale units, which clearly confirmed a step change shift in the specific grinding energy versus the product particle size at 80% passing. The design of the rotors was further developed and fine-tuned with DEM (Discrete Element Method). The validated results have allowed the castellated rotor design to be applied as a standard to all HIGmills.