Raytcho anguelov Hassan ghaffari

Jake alexander
Wardrop, A Tetra Tech Company, Canada

abstract

High Pressure Grinding Rolls in

comparison to SAG milling technology

This paper examines the development of several order of magnitude tradeoff studies to evaluate the application of High Pressure Grinding Roll (hpgr)
technology in comparison to the SAG mill grinding technology. These studies
were prepared by Wardrop Engineering Inc. on eight different projects at
various magnitude tonnages.
Studies for two molybdenum projects, one disseminated gold/sulphide
project, and five copper/gold porphyry deposits located in Canada, Greenland
and Russia, were carried out. These projects included Pacific Booker Minerals,
Imperial Metals Corporation, Abacus Mining and Exploration and Seabridge
Gold Inc. These processing plants were each designed to operate at 30,000,
60,000 and 120,000 tonnes per day capacities.
For the above mentioned projects, the HPGR option indicated a gross
power consumption reduction over a similar SAG mill grinding circuit. The
overall operating cost savings were of the order of 15%. Indications are that
the capital costs for the HPGR option was higher than the SAG mill option.

High Pressure Grinding Rolls in comparison to SAG milling technology

introduction
The application of High Pressure Grinding Rolls (hpgr) in the mining industry,
especially as a replacement for the Semi-autogenous (sag) milling process, received
a great deal of interest from several of our mining clients considering the use of this
technology in order to reduce energy consumption and costs.
The HPGR technology was originally developed and first applied in the cement
industry. In the 1980s the technology was introduced into the mining industry for the
crushing of kimberlite ore in diamond mines. The application and advantages of using
these grinding rolls to extract diamonds is now well established. Subsequently, the
HPGR technology has been successfully applied in the iron ore and limestone industries
and is now making its way into hard rock mining applications.

Figure 1 HPGR Installation.

the process
The HPGR consists of a pair of counter rotating rolls, one fixed and the other floating.
The feed is introduced to the gap in between the rolls and crushed by the mechanism
of inter-particle breakage. The grinding force applied to the crushing zone is controlled
by a hydro-pneumatic spring on the floating roll. Speeds of the rolls are also adjustable
to obtain optimum grinding conditions.
Over the past few years, major advances have been made in wear protection
technologies that have been applied to the roll surfaces and this has reduced wear
significantly, making it more attractive for hard rock mining applications. There are
some restrictions and drawbacks when considering the HPGR process, as capital costs
can sometimes be higher depending on the application. For example, dust control is an
issue and the technology is not suitable for wet and sticky ores.

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CHAPTER I

Figure 2 Simplified HPGR Drawing.

The main HPGR manufacturers are Polysius, khd, and Koppern, all originating from
Germany. Polysius favours a high aspect ratio design large diameter, small width, and
provides for a larger operating gap and reduced wear, while KHD and Koppern both
prefer a low aspect ratio. Each of these companies have spent considerable time and
resources to improve the technology to reduce wear and develop superior rolls which
include the use of studs, segments, edge protection inserts and advanced materials of
construction. Koppern uses a roll surface with stud lining as well as the proprietary
Hexadur lining.
Mining companies are now beginning to incorporate HPGR technology. Freeport
is an example of a mining company that has taken the lead in introducing the HPGR
to one of its large copper projects at Cerro Verde in Peru in 2006. The circuit at Cerro
Verde incorporates four HPGR units (2.4 m diameter x 1.7 m wide, 5,000kW) each
processing 2,500 tonnes per hour instead of the traditional SAG mill circuit. Freeport
is also operating with two HPGR units (2.0 m diameter x 1.8 m wide, 3,600kW each) to
process 1,450 tonnes per hour of ore for their property in Indonesia.
The Boddington copper/gold mine in Australia has also incorporated four HPGR
units (2.4 m diameter x 1.7 m wide, 5,600kW each), processing 2,100 tonnes of ore
per hour. Anglo Platinum included an HPGR unit (2.2 m diameter x 1.6 m wide,
5,600kW), processing 2,400 tonnes per hour of platinum ore. Numerous other clients
are considering the use of HPGR technology for their projects.
Figure
shows a typical SAG flowsheet and Figure is a diagram of a typical
HPGR circuit.

Figure 3 Typical SAG Flowsheet.

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High Pressure Grinding Rolls in comparison to SAG milling technology

Figure 4 HPGR Flowsheet.

projects by wardrop, a tetra tech company

Wardrop Engineering recently completed eight studies comparing the use of HPGR as
an alternative process to the conventional SAG milling circuit. An additional study was
included in the papers presently reviewing the expansion project of Imperial Metals
Corporation. The project involved a pilot test program carried out by Kopperns facility
in Perth, Australia.
adanac molybdenum corporation ruby creek project
The Ruby Creek Molybdenum Project, located approximately 24 km northeast of Atlin,
British Columbia, is a proposed open pit mine and concentrator for the production of
high quality molybdenite from a low-grade resource. As part of the feasibility study,
a trade-off study was completed to evaluate HPGR as an alternative technology to the
conventional SAG milling process [1].
The plant was originally initially designed with conventional SAG milling to operate
at a capacity of 20,000 tones per day with an availability of 91% and an overall plant
recovery of 90%. Because of the remote location, the site power will be supplied by diesel
generation for at least the first 5 years of operation. Results of a trade-off study indicated
that the application of HPGR technology to the Ruby Creek Project would result in
significant process operating cost savings amounting to more than 25%. In addition to
the operational cost savings, the introduction of a second on-line HPGR would result
in an increase in the availability of the plant compared with the conventional SAG mill
process availability of 91% to 96%. With HPGR in place, the power consumption of the
grinding circuit would be reduced by more than 4kWh/tonne.
This trade-off study indicated significant benefits for the project through more energy
efficient crushing/grinding. It is now included in the updated feasibility study.
pacific booker minerals inc morrison project
The Morrison property is located in the Morrison Lake area in northern British Columbia.
The feasibility study for this copper/gold deposit considers open pit mining methods
to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates. The throughput rate will be 30,000
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CHAPTER I

tonnes per day or 11 million tonnes of ore per year. The original treatment process
flowsheet was conventional crushing, SAG grinding and flotation system, resulting in
the production of approximately 155,000 tonnes of concentrates per year containing
copper, gold and molybdenum.
HPGR pilot test work was done by Polysius Corporation on drill core material using
a semi-industrial sized high pressure grinding roll at three different pressure levels.
Closed circuit tests were simulated using a 6 mm screen. The actual cut size was about
5 mm. The test results indicated a potential energy savings in the order of 14% at a P80
size of 200 m and 12% at 90 m as a result of the greater amount of fines created in
the HPGR circuit [6].
Using the HPGR pilot test work results, SGS Lakefield conducted additional laboratory
work to investigate the effect of HPGR comminution on metallurgical performance.
The test work divided the samples into two parts: one sample was crushed using
conventional SAG mill size reduction and the other using HPGR protocols. The HPGR
product required less grinding time (suggesting a lower BWI using HPGR technology)
to produce an equivalent grind size, and metallurgical recoveries were equivalent [5]. At
the target primary grind, both samples had the same size distribution and were quasiidentical. The subsequent locked cycle tests on both samples indicated that there was
no difference in the metallurgical performance with regards to recoveries and product
grades using either crushing methods.
imperial metals inc mount polley project
The Mount Polley mine is located 56 km northeast of Williams Lake in central British
Columbia. The existing plant is treating porphyry copper/gold ore with throughput rates
of 20,000 tonnes per day. The owner, Imperial Metals Corporation, is planning a 50%
plant expansion. The company contacted Wardrop Engineering to perform a scoping
study to evaluate various expansion opportunities.
The existing crushing circuit consists of a primary gyratory crusher (1,067 x 1,651mm),
one 2,134mm standard secondary cone crusher and three 2,134 mm short-head tertiary
crushers. The grinding stage consist of two parallel lines of one open-circuit rod mill
(4,145 x 5,486 mm) followed by one ball mill (4,145 x 8,534 mm) in closed-circuit; the
primary grinding product of both circuits was combined and sent to three pebble mills
(two 5,364 x 7,315 and one 5,060 x 9,754mm) [4].
The conclusions from the scoping study indicated that the expansion can successfully
be performed by installing two HPGR units (630/15 1300 type) and converting the
existing rod mills into ball mills due to the decreased crushing product size.
The HPGR pilot test work carried out by Koppern confirmed that the Mount Polley
ore is suitable for HPGR in an industrial application.
The return of the investment was calculated to be in less than two years. This project
is still in progress.
confidential project russia
A trade-off study was completed comparing the capital and operating costs of using
HPGR technology versus a SAG milling option in the comminution circuit for a
confidential project in Russia. The project, a copper porphyry deposit with plant design,
was processing 21 million tonnes of ore per year [2].

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High Pressure Grinding Rolls in comparison to SAG milling technology

A significant savings in capital costs, particularly in the operating costs, was indicated
from the trade-off study in favour of using the HPGR option. The project is under
feasibility study.
seabridge gold inc courageous lake project
The Courageous Lake Gold Project is located approximately 240 kilometers northeast of
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The proposed advanced stage gold exploration project
is an open pit mine with the capacity of processing 25,000 tones of gold ore per day [3].
The trade-off study, conducted by Wardrop Engineering, concluded that the
introduction of HPGR as a replacement for the conventional SAG milling process offers
significant benefits. The results from the study showed that the HPGR application would
result in a more than 25% in overall comminution operational costs savings. Additionally,
the increased availability from 92% to 96% provides the flexibility to increase the plant
capacity by about 400,000 tonnes per year.
seabridge gold inc ksm project
The KSM (Kerr, Sulphurets, and Mitchell) Copper/Gold Project is located in northwest
British Columbia (BC), approximately 40 km southwest of Bell II on Highway 37 and
about 950 km northwest of Vancouver, 65 km north-northwest of Stewart, bc and 21 km
south-southeast of the Eskay Creek Mine. The pre-feasibility study for this copper/gold
deposit considers open pit mining methods that produce copper/gold and molybdenum
concentrates. The throughput rate will be 120,000 tonnes per day.
The HPGR pilot test work was conducted by Koppern on drill core material using a
semi-industrial sized high-pressure grinding roll at three different pressure levels. A
specific pressing force of 4N/mm 2 was considered to be optimum on the basis of both
size reduction and throughput performance. A net specific energy consumption of 2
kWh/t was recorded for the 4 N/mm 2 pressing force with the specific throughput of
222 ts/hm3 [7].
The trade-off study indicated significant benefits for the project through more energy
efficient crushing/grinding in favour of using the HPGR option. HPGR is now included
in the pre-feasibility study.
abacus mining and exploration corp ajax project
The Ajax Copper/Gold Project is located 10 km southwest of the city of Kamloops, British
Columbia (BC) and is situated immediately south of the Kamloops city limits. The Ajax
Project will be a 60,000 t/d open pit operation with ore processed in a conventional
milling plant and the copper/gold concentrate transported to the Port of Vancouver for
shipment to offshore smelters.
The HPGR pilot test work was conducted by Koppern on drill core material using
a semi-industrial sized high-pressure grinding roll at three different pressure levels
and a specific pressing force of 4N/mm 2 was considered to be optimum on the basis of
both size reduction and throughput performance. A net specific energy consumption
of 2.1 kWh/t was recorded for the 4 N/mm 2 pressing force with the specific throughput
of 225 ts/hm3 [8].

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CHAPTER I

The trade-off study conducted by Wardrop indicates that replacing the SAG mills
with HPGR results in an energy savings of 22% for the comminution circuit. This savings
impacts the project by significantly reducing the total installed power requirement for
the project. The operational cost (power and consumables) savings for the HPGR option
amounts to 22.5%. The capital cost of the HPGR option increases by 10%, however, the
payback period of the HPGR circuit is less than 18 months.

economic benefits
The comparison between the utilisation of HPGR and SAG mill comminution circuits
are shown in Table 1 below:
Table 1 Ore Characteristics

Projects

Ore Type

Ball Mill
BWi
(kWh/t)

Ai

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

Moly Porphyry

12.2

0.57

3.8

220

Confidential Project - Russia

Copper/Gold Porphyry

21.4

0.34

3.8

175

Seabridge Gold Inc (Courageous Lake)

Gold Disseminated

15.5

0.19

3.0

125

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

Copper/Moly Porphyry

16.1

0.32

3.8

150

Imperial Metals Inc

Copper Porphyry

17.5

0.30

7.5

145

Seabridge Gold Inc (KSM)

Copper/Moly Porphyry

16.0

0.25

3.0

180

Abacus Mining & Exploration

Copper/Gold Porphyry

19.0

0.25

3.0

200

HPGR/SAG
(mm)

Ball Mill
(m)

A summary of the comminution power and consumables costs are shown below in Table 2,
Table 3 and Table 4:
Table 2 Power
Projects

SAG

HPGR

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

4.53 $/t

3.83 $/t

Confidential Project - Russia

0.78 $/t

0.53 $/t

Seabridge Gold Inc (Courageous Lake)

3.59 $/t

2.47 $/t

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

0.63 $/t

0.56 $/t

Imperial Metals Inc

n/a

0.13 $/t*

Abacus Mining & Exploration

0.6 $/t

0.47 $/t

* Additional costs for expansion project

Table 3 Consumables (include grinding media and mill and crusher linings)
Projects

SAG

HPGR

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

0.77 $/t

0.73 $/t

Confidential Project - Russia

1.46 $/t

1.10 $/t

Seabridge Gold Inc

1.39 $/t

1.15 $/t

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

2.03 $/t

1.47 $/t

Imperial Metals Inc

n/a

0.55 $/t*

Abacus Mining & Exploration

1.83 $/t

1.38 $/t

* Additional costs for expansion project

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High Pressure Grinding Rolls in comparison to SAG milling technology

The overall operating costs for comparable SAG and HPGR circuit operating costs are
shown below in Table 4:
Table 4 Overall Operating Cost
Projects

SAG

HPRG

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

5.30 $/t

4.56 $/t

Confidential Project - Russia

2.24 $/t

1.63 $/t

Seabridge Gold Inc

4.98 $/t

3.62 $/t

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

2.66 $/t

2.03 $/t

Imperial Metals Inc

n/a

0.73 $/t*

Abacus Mining & Exploration

2.48 $/t

1.92 $/t

* Additional costs for expansion project

The capital cost comparisons between the selected HPGR circuit and conventional SAG
mill circuits are shown below in Table 5 . These capital costs include the secondary
crusher and screen(s), HPGR units and associated screens plus the required conveyors
versus a SAG mill, pebble crusher and associated conveyors. All include civil, structural,
mechanical, electrical, power and instrumentation and building costs.
Table 5 Capital Costs
Projects

SAG vs. HPGR

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

-6.40%

Confidential Project - Russia

14.30%

Seabridge Gold Inc (Courageous Lake)

-8.20%

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

-9.60%

Imperial Metals Inc

$35 million*

Abacus Mining & Exploration

-10.2%

* Additional costs for expansion project

environmental benefits
Table 6 Installed Power Savings
Projects

MW

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

4.1

Confidential Project - Russia

27.8

Seabridge Gold Inc (Courageous Lake)

8.1

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

4.0

Imperial Metals Inc

-4.4*

Abacus Mining & Exploration

14.0

* Additional installed power is required for expansion projects

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CHAPTER I

Table 7 Estimation of CO2 reduction based on EIA

Projects

CO2, TPY

Adanac Molybdenum Corporation

21,000

Confidential Project - Russia

141,000

Seabridge Gold Inc (Courageous Lake)

41,000

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc

20,000

Imperial Metals Inc

n/a

Abacus Mining & Exploration

71,000

* Energy Information Administration

** Based on data for EIA USA, 1 MWH = 0.606 t CO2

conclusions
The selection of HPGR to replace conventional SAG milling circuit can result in
significant savings in energy costs, reduced grinding media consumption and operating
costs, smaller footprint, faster equipment delivery schedules and finer product size.
The capital costs, required for the installation of HPGR units are generally higher
then the SAG milling process by 6% to 10%.
It is estimated that energy savings for the comminution circuit of up to 25% can be
attained and operating costs savings between 10% and 20% are possible, depending on the
ore type and application. Energy cost savings are also becoming better understood with
more savings possible when additional HPGR units are incorporated in comminution
circuits. A further potential benefit of inter-particle crushing are improved recoveries
from downstream processing as a result of micro-cracking occurring within the
particles. While the benefits of the HPGR in terms of lower energy costs and superior
inter-particle crushing were well known, it has taken longer for hard rock mining
companies to embrace this technology.
HPGR technology is now well known and the benefits and applications of using this
technology will continue to become the focus of the mining industry as it strives to find
the most efficient and cost effective crushing and grinding technologies to process ore.
Based on several conducted tests, the ball mill unit energy consumption can be
reduced by an average of 10% using HPGR in circuit.

acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Andy Carter for his technical advice and assistance in data
interpretation.
The authors wish to thank Pacific Booker Minerals, Adanac Molybdenum Corporation,
Imperial Metals and Seabridge Gold and Abacus Mining and Exploration for their
contribution to the project and for permission to publish this paper.
In addition, the authors wish to thank Andre De Ruijter for his technical advice and
assistance in the preparation of this paper.

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High Pressure Grinding Rolls in comparison to SAG milling technology

references
Alexander, J., Alexander, R. & Hall, R. (2006) Ruby Creek Feasibility Study HPGR Trade-Off Study. [1]
Deter, K., Wells, P. & Hall, R. (2006) Miheevskoye Copper Pre-Feasibility Study. [2]
Ghaffari, H., Alexander, J. & Deter, K. (2007) Courageous Lake HPGR Trade-Off Study. [3]
Ghaffari, H., Deter, K. & Wells, P. (2007) Mount Polley Mine Property HPGR Scoping Study. [4]
Lascelles, D. & Fleming, C.A. (2007) SGS Lakefield, The Flotation Response of HPGR-prepared Versus

Conventionally Crushed Flotation Feed from the Morrison Deposit. [5]

Klymowsky, R. & Plath, H. (2007) High-Pressure Grinding Tests on Copper/Gold/Molybdenum Ore from

the Morrison Project, British Columbia, Canada for Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. at the Polysius
Research Centre. [6]
Gardula, A. & Nadolski, S. (2010) High-Pressure Comminution Testwork on processing of Mitchell Zone Ore

for Seabridge Gold/Wardrop engineering Inc. [7]

Koeppern Machinery Australia Pty Ltd. (2009) High Pressure Comminution Test on Processing of Ajax Ore

for Abacus Mining & Exploration. [8]

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