Study on the impacts of media shapes on the performance of tumbling mills – A review

Abstract Grinding typically is the most cost-intensive stage of mineral beneficiation plants. Besides other design and operational parameters, grinding media have a crucial effect on the energy consumption of tumbling mills and generally on their operating costs. Steel balls are the most typical grinding media. However, in recent years, various media shapes with different properties have gained interest in the market, and their efficiencies were compared with balls. This study presents a comprehensive review of the impact of various media geometries on grinding factors (load behavior, power draw, toe, shoulder, contact mechanism, kinetic energy) and the product particle size in tumbling mills.