Publication: Ultra fine grinding of wollastonite using jet mill
Date
2012-07-01
Authors
Mohamad Fithol, Mohamad Zulhairie
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Abstract
Wollastonite nowadays gaining it’s important to the fine particles industries application such as ceramics, plastics, cements, pharmaceuticals, metallurgical and paints. In order to fulfill the industrial demands, the fine grinding process must be took place to produce fine products of material or mineral. Fine grinding can be done using high intensity grinding mills such as jet mill. For this research, fine grinding of wollastonite is carried out using jet mill by varying the parameters of jet mill such as the feed rate, grinding pressure at different levels and the classifier rotational speed. Parameters for feed rate used are 5 kg/h and 10 kg/h, while classifier speed used for this experiment are 8000 rpm, 13000 rpm, and 18000 rpm. Grinding pressure used are 3 bar, 4 bar and 5 bar. In this grinding mill, grinding and classification took place simultaneously. The products of jet mill were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, shape and structure. Analysis has done shows that basically, coarser particle size can be obtained at a higher classifier rotational speed due to the fluctuation of inside mill condition and particle characteristics. From the particle size analysis for the products of grinding process, the smallest particle size, d50 which is 3.79 µm can be obtained at 5 kg/h feed rate, 18000 rpm classifier speed and 3 bar grinding pressure. Mineralogical analysis are includes XRF and XRD to determine the elements that present in wollastonite sample. XRF analysis shows that the percentage of SiO2 is 57.720% and CaO is 34.101%. This approved that the sample used is wollastonite because the chemical formula for wollastonite is CaSiO3.