Model-based evaluation of grinding experiments

A grinding simulation has been developed based on the population balance mo del. In the chemical industry, it is usual that a range of products is mill ed in the same grinding facility. Performing experiments with narrow fracti ons or tracers to obtain grinding coefficients for each product would be ve ry cost-intensive. Here, a method is used to determine grinding coefficient s using algorithms based on only a few laboratory experiments. The data are approximated with equations for the selection function and the breakage fu nction, which allows the milling conditions to be calculated for a desired particle size distribution. Grinding experiments with a stirred ball mill s how that the method provides a good approximation in practice. (C) 1999 Els evier Science S.A. All rights reserved.