SYSTEM FOR THE DYNAMIC MEASUREMENT OF ROCK HARDNESS, ALLOWING THE OBTENTION OF A KWH/TON PARAMETER (POWER/MASS FLOW) EQUIVALENT TO THAT OBTAINED IN THE INDUSTRIAL MINERAL GRINDING OR CRUSHING PROCESS

摘要

The invention relates to a system and a method for breaking rocks on a laboratory scale in order to simulate the specific energy consumption in kWh/ton (power/mass flow) of the rocks in a grinder or crusher. This system uses the mechanisms of impact and abrasion for braking the rocks, using wear-resistant materials, without needing to adjust or exchange any parts for a minimum duration of 1000 tests. The breaking process is carried out at a continuous supply rate of 100 grams per minute and uses a sample of 500 grams of rock, wherein the size of 100 % thereof is smaller than 12 mm, which breaks until the size of 100 % thereof is smaller than 1 mm. The whole process is entirely controlled by a computer and continuously measures the specific energy consumption of the rock in the control sizes. The determined specific energy consumption is exactly equal to the consumption obtained in the grinding or crushing process for typical size reduction ratios of said processes. This high-speed, high-precision and fully automated system enables large quantities of individual samples to be measured, achieving higher precision in the characterisation of the deposit both for the plant design steps and for the production planning of operating plants.