Investigating Dynamic Behavior in SAG Mill Pebble Recycling Circuits: A Simulation Approach

Journal article, 2024

The dynamics of milling circuits, particularly those involving Semi-Autogenous Grinding
(SAG) mills, are not adequately studied, despite their critical importance in mineral processing.
This paper aims to investigate the dynamic behavior of an SAG mill pebble recycling circuit under
varying feed ore conditions, focusing on both uncontrollable parameters (such as ore hardness) and
controllable parameters (including circuit layout and pebble crusher configurations). The study is
carried out with Simulink dynamic simulations. Our findings reveal several key insights. Firstly,
plant designs based solely on static simulations may not be adequate for large or complex circuits, as
they fail to account for the dynamic nature of milling processes. Second, incorporating stockpiles after
pebble crushing can effectively mitigate the impact of dynamic fluctuations, leading to more stable
circuit performance. Third, different circuit layouts can facilitate easier maintenance and operational
flexibility. Notably, finer pebble crushing can enhance circuit throughput by 5% to 10%.