Breakage process of mineral processing comminution machines – An approach to liberation

Mineral liberation and size reduction are the most critical steps before mineral separation. Several investigations showed that mineral liberation degree could be affected by ore texture and/or loading mechanisms. However, varied definitions have been used for the breakage fundamentals as the leading cause of mineral liberation. This review identifies the breakage fundamentals and analyzes them in terms of process and ore breakage behavior. It is highlighted that the breakage fundamentals are essential for optimizing of comminution environments and designing the comminution machines. Three main areas of breakage processes in regard to fundamentals of breakage are classified and addressed as “Loading mechanism”, “Breakage mechanism”, and “Breakage mode”. Despite the fact that many advances have been made in the design of the comminution machines; still, the combined effect of breakage fundamentals and ore properties such as ore texture in a quantitative manner is not fully understood. In this regard, this study identifies and discusses the material and process factors influencing the breakage phenomenon. This potentially paves the way for improving the comminution environment concerning a particular ore type.