Innovation and optimisation in cement grinding

Martin Schneider, Dsseldorf, Germany CSI / TERI / ECRA Forum New Delhi, 19/20 September 2008

Electrical energy demand for cement production

Extraction and blending Raw material grinding Raw material homogenisation Clinker production Cement grinding Conveying, packing, loading

5% 24 % 6% 22 % 38 % 5% 100 % more than 60 % for grinding processes!

total demand

~ 110 kWh/tcement

Grinding and its impact on quality

Cement grinding as an example: quality parameters: workability water demand strength durability of concrete

Particle size distribution in RRSB-diagram

Description of cement fineness with RRSB position parameter and slope:
example: cement from ball mill, n = 0,88

grinding system ball mill vertical roller mill high pressure grinding rolls Horomill

slope 0.85 to 1.1 0.85 to 1.1 1.0 to 1.1 1.05 to 1.1

Specific energy consumption of different grinding systems

specific energy consumption

Ball mill (100 %)

Horomill (70 %)

VRM (60 %) HPGR (50 %)

specific surface

Evolution of comminution technologies

Chronology: Manual comminution Hammer mechanism Edge runner Ball mill Vertical roller mill High pressure grinding rolls Horomill (ca. 1512) (ca. 1800) (ca. 1890) (ca. 1930) (ca. 1985)

Manual comminution (16th century)

from: Georg Agricola, De Re Metallica

Hammer mechanism (16/17th century)

from: Georg Agricola, De Re Metallica

Edge runner (18/19th century)

from: Johann Georg Krnitz, konomisch-technologische Encyclopdie

Evolution of comminution technologies

Comminution mechanisms in different grinding systems

impact
v

ball mill
F F

VRM

friction
F F

HPGR
F F

compression
F

Comminution mechanisms in the ball mill

impact

ball mill

F F

friction
F F

compression
F

Ball mill for dry grinding

Intermediate diaphragm

Fine grinding chamber Classifying plate lining 50 mm - 15 mm balls

Coarse grinding chamber Lifter plate lining 100 mm 60 mm balls Discharge diaphragm

Ball mill

Advantages combined drying and grinding reliable - long service life wide PSD high fineness good for abrasive materials

Disadvantages for high moisture external drying necessary high energy demand no explicit stress area

still widely used in cement plants

Potentials for ball mills

Exact adjustment of grinding media and linings to requirement separator adjustment optimisation of mill and separator

Grinding systems for efficient comminution

Objectives Lower grinding energy demand than ball mills Comminution to a large extent by using the compression Comminution in an explicit compression zone

Principle design of vertical roller mills

air and fines

grits

separator

grinding roller

mill feed

grinding table

air or hot gas

rejects gear box

Vertical roller mills for raw material grinding

Combined drying, grinding and separation Energy consumption 60 - 70 % compared to a ball mill Moisture contents up to 25 % Compared to a ball mill 10 to 20 % higher capital costs Used in 90 % of all new plants as raw mill Throughput up to 840 t/h, feed size up to 200 mm Installed power up to 7 000 kW, grinding table diameter up to 6 700 mm

Vertical roller mill for cement and slag grinding

Energy consumption: 70 % of a ball mill for cement 50 % of a ball mill for slag Fineness: max. 4 500 cm/g for cement max. 6 000 cm/g for slag Moisture required for stabilising the grinding bed less influence on cement quality Low wear costs Throughput up to 300 t/h

High pressure grinding rolls

Feed material

Defined grinding area

Floating roller

Feed up to 60 mm Grinding pressure from 50 to 400 MPa Compacted cakes up to 40% fines and coarse particles

Grinding pressure Fixed roller

Compacted cakes

High pressure grinding rolls main features

First application 1984 Today worldwide more than 600 mills in operation Throughput rates up to 1 300 t/h Grinding force from 2 to 20 Mega-Newton Efficiency 1.8 to 3.5 times higher than ball mill 1.1 to 1.4 times higher than vertical roller mill cement finish grinding limited by PSD

Example: High pressure grinding rolls for raw material grinding

Advantages: - Energy consumption 50 % lower than ball mill - Extremely low roller wear (min 0.25 g/t)

Disadvantages: - Drying capacity is limited to 4 % feed moisture - Application only for non-abrasive raw materials, due to wear of deglomerator

Application of high pressure grinding rolls for cement grinding

Pregrinding

Semi-finish grinding

Finish grinding

Comminution by compression: operating principles

VRM
Speed: Limited by centrifugation of material Bed thickness: Medium

Horomill

12 HPGR
Speed: Limited to 1 - 1,5 m/s because of vibrations Bed thickness: Low

6
Speed:

18
Upper value not yet known Bed thickness: 2 to 3 times HPGR

Operating principle of Horomill

Horizontal roller mill (Horomill)

For wet materials external dryer necessary Wear costs comparable to build-up welded high pressure grinding rolls Raw material grinding Energy consumption 50 % compared to a ball mill Cement grinding Max. cement fineness 4 000 cm/g Energy consumption 70 % compared to a ball mill Slag grinding Max. cement fineness 4 800 cm/g Energy consumption 60 % compared to a ball mill

Comparison of different systems for cement grinding

Technological parameters for different grinding systems

Parameter product fineness (Blaine) RRSB slope specific energy demand (closed circuit)

Unit cm/g --

Ball mill > 6 000 0.85 to 1.1 *)

Vertical roller mill 4 500 0.85 to 1.1

High pressure grinding rolls 4 000 1.0 to 1.1

Horomill 4 000 1.05 to 1.1

%
*)

100
open - closed circuit

60 to 70

50 to 60

70

Comparison of different systems for slag grinding

Comparison of service lives of the grinding elements from different grinding systems when grinding granulated blastfurnace slag
Parameter product fineness (Blaine) wearing parts service life of grinding media specific wear Unit cm/g Ball mill > 6 000 lining, grinding balls 3 to 6 120 to 150 Vertical roller mill > 6 000 hardfaced rollers, grinding table High pressure grinding rolls > 5 500 Horomill < 4 800 hardfaced roller surfaces

--

hardfaced rolls

a g/t

partial or complete hardfacing of the working surfaces at intervals of 2 to 3 months 3 to 6

Influence of grinding system on cement properties

Grinding the same clinker in a ball mill, a VRM and a HPGR

Compressive strengths of the B 3 000 clinkers

Phase contents of the < 20 m fraction of the B 3 000 clinkers

Slag grinding and properties of slag cement

Slag particle

Compressive strengths of the blastfurnace cements

Size reduction energy

10000 spec. size reduction energy [kWh/t] single particle comminution 1000 bulk comminution

100

clinker

raw meal 10 quartz limestone clinker

Single particle comminution with highest efficiency! (target oriented stress)

0,1 0,1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

Hffl, Zerkleinerungsund Klassiermaschinen

particle size [m]

Energy utilisation of compression and impact

energy utilisation SM/WM [cm/J]

Higher efficiency of comminution by compression!

Compression

Impact

mass specific work WM [J/g]

Pahl: Zerkleinerungstechnik

Throughput-speed-behaviour of different mill types

VRM: depends on grindingtable-diameter and number of rollers
Specific power demand [kWh/t]

P/M M
~2,00
Vertical roller mill

M P/M M M

HPGR: linear correlation only for low circumferential speed of rolls

High pressure grinding rolls

1,00

Modified horizontal roller mill: linear correlation also for high circumferential speed (limit not yet known)

P/M M M
Modified horizontal roller mill

0,0

1,0

operating point

2,0

3,0

Circumferential speed of the grinding track [m/s]

Throughput [t/h]

Direction of new developments

Related grinding force [kN/mm] Power demand [kW] Bond index [kWh/t]
12

limit of free dosed material feeding

10

HPGR:
8

Operation point not adjustable Independent adjustment of grinding force and thickness of grinding bed not possible

6
related grinding force power demand

Bond index

0 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0

Example: limestone 0...6 mm

Dimensionless feed throughput

Objectives for future developments

Comminution only by compression Compression of a grinding bed with defined thickness Independent adjustment of grinding force and thickness of grinding bed Low specific energy demand

Modified horizontal roller mill

Compression of a grinding bed with defined thickness Independent adjustment of grinding force and thickness of grinding bed

Comminution by compression

Other comminution technologies for cement grinding?

HEM High Energy Milling: very small particles high reactivity mechanical activation of particles (< 2m); tested for cement grinding Ultrasonic-comminution (Patent DE 102 59 456 B4) energy-transfer by acoustic pulse; tested for slag grinding Plasma comminution (European Patent EP0976457) comminution in a liquid by shock waves; tested for semiconductor material Low temperature comminution (Internat. Application No. PCT/EP2007/010159) reducing particle size by rapidly reduction of energy level

Summary (1)
Ball mill High energy consumption Reliable - long service life of the wearing parts Limitation in feed moisture at high feed moisture external drying necessary High pressure grinding rolls High energy savings Limitation in feed moisture with external drying no limitation in material moisture Maximum achievable fineness 4 000 cm/g (clinker)

Summary (2)
Vertical roller mill High energy savings Very high material moisture contents (up to 25 %) can be processed Low wear costs Maximum achievable fineness 4 500 Blaine for OPC

Summary (3)
Horizontal roller mill (Horomill) Energy savings of 30 to 40 % Maximum achievable fineness 4 000 Blaine for OPC and 4 800 Blaine for slag

No comminution without energy input Highest efficiency of comminution by compression Objectives Optimisation of known grinding processes necessary Development of new comminution processes: comminution by compression in an explicit stress area Comminution in one process without postrefining

Thank you for your attention!