Study on Grinding Additives in Cassiterite–Polymetallic Sulfide Ore Grinding

Abstract

To attempt a new approach to improve the grinding of cassiterite–polymetallic sulfide ores while simultaneously reducing cassiterite overgrinding and sulfide undergrinding, this article looked into the effects of grinding chemical additives on the distribution of grinding product size. Six chemicals, namely sodium hexametaphosphate, triethanolamine, ferric sulphate, aluminum chloride, polyaluminum chloride and polyacrylamide, were compared in terms of their influence on the grinding product size distribution. The results showed that the six chemicals changed the distribution results with varying orientations and degrees and that the addition of polyacrylamide achieved the most satisfactory effect by decreasing the production of both coarse and fine size fractions and increasing the production of qualified particles. The effect of the molecular weight of polyacrylamide on the grinding was also discussed. The polyacrylamides with molecular weights of about 3 × 106, 5 × 106, 8 × 106 and 12 × 106 could help to produce less of the coarse size fraction and more of the qualified size fraction, but only the polyacrylamides with molecular weights of 3 × 106 and 5 × 106 produced pronounced changes. Moreover, the polyacrylamides could slightly reduce the production of the fine size fraction. Polyacrylamide with a 5 × 106 molecular weight was better than that with a 3 × 106 molecular weight in aiding the grinding of the discussed ore. It was also found that the aid action of the polyacrylamide with a 5 × 106 molecular weight was related to grinding concentration and that a low grinding concentration of less than 70% solid mass was helpful in exerting its aid action. Using polyacrylamide could shorten the grinding time that is needed to achieve the same, or even improved, product size distribution.