Development of a multi-component communition model structure in a copper-zinc grinding and enrichment plant

In this thesis, it is aimed to determine the grinding behavior of all the components that make up the minerals with the samples taken from the grinding and classification circuit of a copper enrichment plant belonging to Eti Bakır A.Ş. Modeling and simulation studies were carried out in this context. JK SimMet v6.02 software and the General Reduced Gradient Method (GRG) in the solver function of the Microsoft Excel program on element basis were used in item equivalence studies. In the study, the grinding and grading performances were evaluated at 15 tons/hour and 17 tons/hour fresh feeding conditions. The perfect mixture model was used in the modeling study for mills, and the performance curve model was used in hydrocyclones. In the thesis, new models for ball mills and hydrocyclones have been derived. The relationship between the specific gravity and the fracture rate parameter in the grinding model has been revealed. In addition, it was observed that the change in solids ratio in mills made a difference on the model variables. It has been understood that a model structure can be developed in which other operating conditions (ball surface area, occupancy rate, etc.) are associated with the solids ratio. Using the Whiten equation in the hydrocyclone model, variables such as alpha, discrimination acuity and leakage were associated with operational variables. A corrected cut length model has been developed based on different geometric and operational conditions of hydrocyclones and using Plitt equation. With this derived model, the alpha variable can be calculated depending on the hydrocyclone geometry and the specific gravity of the element.