Grain size and shape fractal characteristics of gangue in the process of ’jaw breaking-ball milling’

This study investigates the fractal characteristics of the particle size and shape distribution of gangue powder in the "jaw crushing-ball milling" process using mudstone gangue. For this, fractal theory, laser particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope and other mesoscopic research methods were introduced. This study has several main factors, including the discharge port width in the jaw crushing stage, the grinding particle size, ball-to-powder ratio in the ball milling stage, and the fractal dimension changes of the gangue in different crushing stages. The results indicate that in the process of "jaw crushing-ball milling", gangue's particle size and shape fractal dimension values changed periodically. During the jaw crushing stage, the particle size fractal dimension increases with the width of the discharge opening, ranging from 1.85 to 1.92. The value of the shape fractal dimension varies from 2.65 to 2.84. Ball milling causes the fractal dimension value of gangue particle size to increase with time before agglomeration and decrease after agglomeration. By comparing different in-grinding particle sizes and ball-to-powder ratio, it is found that the fractal dimension value of gangue particle size decreases with the increase of in-grinding particle size and increases with the increase of ball-to-powder ratio. The final gangue's particle size fractal dimension value is concentrated between 2.5 and 2.8. The fractal dimension of particle shape increases with the increase of the grinding particle size, and decreases with the increase of ball-to-powder ratio. A ball-to-powder ratio greater than 6 gradually reduces its influence on fractal dimensions, and the final shape dimension lies between 1.06 and 1.16. In addition, the increase/decrease range of particle size and shape fractal dimension decreases with the increase of ball milling time, which is also consistent with the grinding kinetics theory. As a result of the changes in particle size and shape fractal dimensions, parameters such as jaw crusher discharge port width, grinding particle size, and ball-to-powder ratio are calculated to provide a theoretical basis for the entire crushing process in the "jaw crusher-ball milling" crushing process.