COMMINUTION AND LIBERATION OF MINERALS

Two industrial problems, energy consumption and mineral recovery, have dominated research in comminution during the past five years. Both ha ve required new and fundamental insights into the fracture process, wh en brittle particles are subject to rapid impact. New experimental pro cedures using the ultrafast load cell, dual pendulum and high-precisio n image analysers have produced experimental data that is providing th e basis for significantly new models of the facture process. New gener ation comminution machines are exploiting the deeper understanding and theoretical models of wide applicability are emerging to provide a so und basis for design, scale-up and optimization of comminution operati ons.