To clarify the influence of the media filling ratio on fine particle production during ceramic ball grinding of magnetite, magnetite ore from the fine grinding stage of an industrial concentrator was investigated under different feed size classes and media filling ratios through grinding kinetics experiments. The generation behavior of the fine and finest particle fractions during ceramic ball grinding was systematically analyzed. The results indicate that particle size fractions with sizes less than or equal to 0.150 mm exhibit pronounced zero-order production characteristics under different filling ratios, with cumulative yields showing a strong linear relationship with grinding time. This zero-order behavior is insensitive to variations in the media filling ratio. Conversely, the generation rate of the finest size fraction is significantly affected by the media filling ratio. For coarse feed sizes, the generation rate of the finest fraction initially increases and then decreases with increasing filling ratio, reaching a peak value of 6.23%/min at a filling ratio of 35%. When the feed falls below 1.18 mm, the generation rate of the finest fraction shows a strong positive correlation with the ceramic ball filling ratio. Furthermore, based on the functional relationship between the generation rate of the finest size fraction and the mill input power, an energy–size model for magnetite ceramic ball grinding was established, providing a quantitative description of the variation in the finest particle yield with respect to the input energy and media filling ratio. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing media filling ratios, enhancing fine grinding performance, and controlling overgrinding in industrial applications.
Ling et al. (Sat,) studied this question.