The optimization of industrial grinding circuits has been successfully performed using mathematical models that describe the industrial scale data from breakage parameters determined in laboratory grinding tests. The test material studied here is a gold ore ground in a closed ball mill circuit with hydrocyclone classification. Several sampling campaigns were carried out aiming to produce mass balances and provide material for laboratory tests. The parameters determined in the laboratory tests were used to predict, by simulation, the circuit behavior with a low ball charge level and a balanced ball size distribution.
Grinding; simulation; optimization; ball mill
