Abstract
The effect of lime and silicate additives on corrosive wear of forged steel grinding balls was studied during wet grinding of a low-grade copper ore over the temperature range 25° to 65°c. Weight measurements of steel balls at various concentrations of additive in the ore slurries indicated that below pH 9·0, wear was affected by both pH and temperature. Above pH 10·5, corrosive wear was prevented. Over the temperature range studied abrasion is not greatly affected by grinding temperature. Potential measurements also indicated that the steel balls became passivated at pH values greater than 10·5 In the region of passivation, the percentage reduction of wear by lime additions was 18–23% and that by silicate additions was 20–24%. Neither additive nor grinding temperature had a significant effect on work done on ore as measured by the increase in minus 200 mesh ore during grinding.
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