The modelling of scrubbers and AG mills.
ABSTRACT
The minerals industry has focused a lot of attention to the modelling of SAG mills, ball mills, crushers and
HPGR’s. Less attention has been placed on the modelling of AG mills and scrubbers. This paper reviews
the differences between scrubber and AG mill modelling and highlights the similarities with a view to
comminution circuit design. The diamond industry is particularly exposed to the use of scrubbers and AG
mills. Engineering practitioners need to be comfortable with the analysis and should not shy away from
considering scrubbers for small scale copper and gold plants, treating soft oxide ores. The paper
differentiates scrubber and AG mill modelling in a similar way, to which overflow ball mills and grate
discharge ball mills are analysed. 500 – 1,000 kW Scrubbers suited to small scale (100-300 t/h) operations.
They are not cost intensive and therefore attractive to circuit designs that require high capacity and low
capex. Larger scrubbers up to 2500 kW have the capability of very high throughput in excess of 1500 t/h.
KEYWORDS
Modelling, scrubbers, AG mills
M J. Daniel
Process Consultant Citic SMCC Pty Ltd
Brisbane
Australia
Phone: +61447550042