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Development of Grinding Media Balls Using Locally Available Materials

Conference Paper · February 2010

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The Third International Conference on Structure, Processing and Properties of Materials 2010, SPPM 2010
24- 26 February 2010, Dhaka, Bangladesh, SPPM 2010 A11

Development of Grinding Media Balls Using Locally Available Materials

1 1 2
T Rahman , A Sharif and K M Shorowordi
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET),
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.

Institute of Appropriate Technology, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000,
Bangladesh

Abstract

Almost all cement factories of Bangladesh currently use imported grinding balls and lining materials. This requires time;
hassle and foreign currency. In the preliminary stage of this research, some foreign made grinding media balls are
collected from different sources. The characterization of these imported grinding balls was done by microstructurally,
chemically and mechanically. From compiling all these results, the ultimate compositions of the grinding ball that were to
be produced from locally available resources were determined. In this case, high chromium based cast iron were
identified as a potential material for making the grinding media balls.
High chromium cast irons (HCCIs) are excellent wear-resistant materials which are a widely used tool in mineral
processing, coal, ceramic and cement industries. The exceptional wear resistance of HCCIs exerts from the high volume
fraction of hard chromium carbides. After charge calculation, the commercially available pig iron and ferrochrome were
melted in an induction furnace at 1600oC and the melt was poured in a mould prepared by CO2 process. Finally the
as-cast samples were tested for hardness, impact strength, wear resistance and chemical analysis to verify whether they
match up with the imported balls or not. In summary, the results of the developed balls were found to be almost
satisfactory with respect of hardness, microstructural and wear rate in comparison to the imported ones.

Keywords: Municipal Solid Waste, Incinerator Bottom Ash, Characterization.

1. INTRODUCTION

The technological development of materials is essential in the manufacturing of equipment operating in extreme conditions
by incorporating more quality, enabling a longer service life, and lower production costs [1, 2]. In many industrial
applications coarse ore is ground in rod or ball mills before being mixed with a liquid to form slurries for economical transfer
between processing stages. In those industries a hard and wear resistant material is used to make balls in the media. They
are called grinding media ball. The slurries generally contain a high proportion of abrasive particles of varying sizes, due to
the nature of the crushing process, creating an erosive environment. In order to minimize wear in critical areas, processing
components used for the transfer of slurries are either cast or weld overlaid with wear resistant materials. Very high
abrasive wear resistance combined with relatively low production costs make these alloys particularly attractive for
applications where grinding, milling and pumping equipment is used to process materials such as ore, coal, and gravel
[3–5]. Another important application of these materials is the manufacture of working rolls for hot strip mills [6, 7].

The development of new methods and thermal treatments for cast iron alloys allow new materials to perform better
mechanical properties and more resistance to corrosion when in several aggressive industry environments [8, 9]. White
chrome cast irons are currently leading the several fields of applications, being mainly employed in mechanical parts
submitted to severe wearing. In addition, they are used when high corrosion resistance is required. In the evaluation of new
alloys, designed to operate in aggressive media, it became essential to know the transformations undergone during
thermal treatments and their influence on the expected mechanical and corrosion properties [10]. High chromium white
irons are ferrous based with the main alloying additions being 11-35 wt% chromium and 1.8-7.5 wt% carbon. As we know
wear resistance of these alloys stems from the distribution of hard carbides, which form in-situ on cooling from the melt of a
casting or molten weld deposit, in a softer ductile matrix. Their as-cast microstructures consist of primary austenite
dendrites with eutectic austenite (partially transformed to martensite) and eutectic M7C3 in the interdendritic regions. The
chemical composition of the alloys can be varied to produce different proportions of carbides, usually expressed as carbide
volume fraction (CVF). In the as-cast condition, the austenitic Cr irons possess but limited, abrasion resistance and fracture
toughness. Improvements in abrasion resistance and impact toughness can be achieved by suitable heat treatments to
produce controlled martensitic matrix structures, and also by additional alloying to provide harder carbides.

In this present work an attempt has been made to develop grinding media balls with the locally available raw materials and
techniques. Initially different types of grinding balls, imported from different sources were collected. Their chemical analysis,
hardness, microstructure were observed. From these data a composition were chosen to develop the ultimate raw material.
Finally the newly developed material was tested for hardness, wear resistance and chemical analysis, whether they match
up with imported balls or not.

1
2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The research was started from collecting foreign made grinding media ball and identifying the chemical compositions and
properties of these imported grinding balls. By compiling all these results the ultimate composition of the grinding ball was
formulated. After formulating the chemical composition of the ball, the production route was determined according to the
composition and properties required. For melting, a small induction furnace was used. The melt was cast into the desired
shapes. The chemical composition was determined by wet chemical analysis. The microstructures were investigated of the
prepared samples using standard metallographic technique. The hardness measurement was carried out by using digital
Rockwell hardness tester. The wet wear test of grinding media balls was done by using laboratory scale pot mill.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Commercially available media ball collection and characterization

For the purpose of developing locally produced grinding media ball two types of commercially available imported balls were
collected.
The following tests were carried out to characterize them.
3.1.1 Micro study

3.1.2 Chemical analysis

3.1.3 Hardness test

3.1.1 Micro study

The micro structure of collected commercially available grinding media balls are shown below.

Figure 1: Microstructure of foreign -1 (left) and foreign- 2 (right) grinding media ball, 400×,
(Etched with 5% Nital)

As we can the structures are hypereutectic in category. The carbide volume fraction is lower in the Foreign- 2 ball then the
Foreign – 1. So the Cr% is also expected to be lower.

3.1.2 Chemical analysis

The chemical composition is given below

Table 1: Chemical composition Grinding media ball

Grinding media ball %C % Cr % Mn % Si

Foreign -1 2.3 26.877 0.3 1.904
Foreign- 2 2.6 11 1.02 -

3.1.3 Hardness
The hardness is given below.
Table 2: Hardness of grinding media ball

Grinding media ball Average hardness( RC scale)

Foreign -1 58.925
Foreign - 2 61
3.2 Development
3.2.1 Composition determination
From the chemical analysis of the two main types of industrially used balls, for simplicity a composition with only two
elemental variables was formulated for the production of grinding media ball. This is as follows
C – 2.3%, Cr- 26%

2
3.2.2 Raw materials characterization

Casting technique was chosen as the production route with the desired composition. Samples for pot mill test, hardness
test and micro study were made. Locally available pig iron and ferrochrome were used for casting. Composition of the
ferrochrome is collected from the vendor. The chemical composition of pig iron was analyzed by wet chemical method and
the compositions of the two raw materials are given below.
Pig iron - C – 3.85%, Cr – traces
Ferrochrome - C – 0.1%, Cr – 60% (Composition is supplied by the vendor)

3.2.3 Pattern and Mould design

For casting, the patterns were made first. Then the whole casting system (mould) was designed. In this case CO2 process
was used to produce the mould. In the figure below, the whole unit for mould making and also the patterns are shown.

The casting unit Patterns

Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the casting unit and the patterns

3.2.4 Charge calculation for casting

The calculation for the casting is given below.
Target Composition: C – 2.3%, Cr- 26% and the total casting wt. = 4 kg
C% = 2.3 %, carbon wt. = 2.3×4/100= 0.092 kg
Cr % = 26%, Chromium wt = 26× 4/100= 1.04 kg
The balance is done mostly by iron.
Now for 1.04 kg Cr Ferrochrome is needed = 100×1.04/60 = 1.73 kg
So, 1.73 kg Ferrochrome gives = 0.1×1.73/100 = 0.00173 kg Carbon
The rest= (0 .092 – 0.00173) = 0.09027 kg which has to be supplied by pig iron.
So, pig iron needed = 100×0.09027/3.85 = 2.34kg
So, finally for 4kg casting the raw materials were
Pig iron = 2.3 kg, Ferro Chrome = 1.7kg

3.2.5 Casting

For casting an induction furnace was used. Pig iron bar was cut to suitable pieces and Ferrochrome was ground finely.
These were taken in a crucible to melt in the induction furnace. The temperature was about 1600° C. The mould was
previously prepared by CO2 process. The liquid metal was poured in the mould and set for some time to solidify and cool
down. After solidification the parts were taken out, sand was washed, samples were separated from the excess parts and
finally they were taken to the grinding machine. For pot mill test the sample was prepared as a spherical ball of 30mm dia
and for hardness sample, 10mm×10mm×55mm bars were made.

3
 Figure 3: Samples of different shapes, impact bar (left), wear pin (middle) and pot mill ball (right)

3.3 Characterization of the developed Sample

The following tests were carried out to characterize the newly developed material.

3.3.1 Chemical analysis

3.3.2 Micro study

3.3.3 Hardness test

3.3.4 Pot mill test

3.3.1 Chemical analysis

The target composition of the casting was 26% chromium and 2.3% carbon. The avarage compositions of the cast samples
was shown below.

Table 3: Chmemical composition of the cast product

%C % Cr % Si

4.789 23.23 1.9

The Si and Cr content was found to be closed to the desired one. As for carbon, it was assumed that the additional C was
picked up from the ferrochrome that was commercially procured. Although as per vendor the C content in the ferrochrome
supposed to be around 0.1%.

3.3.2 Microstructure Analysis

The following microstructures were observed in 23.23% Cr and 4.789% C casting.

100× 400X
Figure 4: Microstructure of the developed sample, etched with 5% Nital
Here we can see that the microstructure is hypereutectic type with iron-carbide phase (white phase) and pearlite (dark
phase) with other carbide precipitates in the pearlite.

4
3.3.3 Hardness

For hardness measurement digital Rockwell Hardness Taster was used. The hardness measured and also calculted the
avrage one was shown below in a tabular format.

Table 4: Hardness

Sample no Hardness, RC Average Hardness, RC

1 58.9

2 59.8 60.4

3 61.9

4 61

Form the hardness test, it was found that the hardness of the newly develpoed alloy was very the closed to the imported
media balls.

3.3.4 Pot mill test

Wet wear test of high chromium cast irons and a standard sample (Foreign-1) are carried out by using the pot mill type wear
testing apparatus.

Figure 5: Pot mill

The results of the test are shown below.

For the first two days.

Table 5: Weight loss in pot mill test for the first two days

Sample description Initial wt. gm Final wt.gm Wt loss. gm

Standard (Foreign-1) 190.3190 190.3077 0.0113

Cast Sample 123.3604 123.3197 0.0407

For the second two days

Table 6: Weight loss in pot mill test for the second two days

Sample description Initial wt. gm Final wt. gm Wt. loss. gm

Standard (Foreign-1) 190.2585 190.1280 0.1305

Cast sample 123.2858 123.1090 0.1768

In the pot mill test the ball cast in this research showed low weight loss and survived very well in the severe abrasive wear
condition designed to simulate actual service condition. It did not show that much variation in weight loss in accordance

5
 with the standard sample. The ball was not broken in this test which is a good indication of its toughness.

4. CONCLUSIONS

In this research, high chromium based cast iron are identified as a potential material for making the grinding media balls.
High chromium cast irons (HCCIs) are excellent wear-resistant materials which are a widely used tool in mineral processing,
coal, ceramic and cement industries. The exceptional wear resistance of HCCIs exerts from the high volume fraction of
hard chromium carbides. After charge calculation, the commercially available pig iron and ferrochrome are melted in an
induction furnace at 1600oC and the melt was poured in a mould prepared by CO2 process. Finally the as-cast samples
were tested for hardness, impact strength, wear resistance and chemical analysis to verify whether they match up with the
imported balls or not. In summary, the results of the developed balls were found to be almost satisfactory with respect of
hardness, microstructural and wear rate in comparison to the imported ones.

6. REFERENCES

1 Zumelzu, E., Sepu´lveda, J. and Ibarra, M., 1999, “Influence of microstructure on the mechanical behaviour of welded
316 LSS joints”, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 94: 36–40.
2 Zumelzu, E., Cabezas, C. and Sepu´lveda, J., 1998, “Influence of delta ferrite on the corrosion performance of welded
304 SS and 316 LSS joints in 6% ferric chloride solution”, Protect. Met. 34 (6): 539–544.
3 Tabrett, C. P. and Sare, I. R., 2000, “Fracture toughness of high-chromium white irons: influence of cast structure”, J
Mater Sci, 3:2069–77.
4 Zhang, M.X., Kelly, P.M. and Gates, J.D., 2001, “The effect of heat treatment on the toughness, hardness and
microstructure of low carbon white cast irons”, J Mater Sci, 36:3865–75.
5 Dogan, O.N., Hawk, J.A. and Laird, G., 1997, “Solidification structure and abrasion resistance of high chromium white
irons”, Metall Mater Trans A Phys Metall Mater Sci June, 28A.
6 Hwang, K.C., Lee, S. and Lee, H.C., 1998, “Effects of tempering temperature on wear resistance and surface
roughness of a high speed steel roll: Part I. Microstructural analysis”, Mater Sci Eng A Struct Mater Prop Microstruct
Process, 254:282.
7 Hwang, K.C., Lee, S. and Lee, H.C., 1998, “Effects of tempering temperature on wear resistance and surface
roughness of a high speed steel roll: Part II. Fracture behaviour analysis”, Mater Sci Eng A Struct Mater Prop
Microstruct Process, 254:296.
8 Kible, A. and Pearce, J.T.H., 1993, “Influence of heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of 19% high
chromium cast irons”, Cast Met., 6 (1): 9–15.
9 Pattyn, R.L., 1988, “Heat treatment of high-Cr white irons”, AFS Trans., 93 (1): 161–167.
10 Goyos, L., Castan˜eda, R., Wettinck, E., Valera, R. and Moors, M., 1999, “Behaviour of nodular iron with
austempering in corrosion and wear”, Proc. of IV Iberam. Congress of Mech. Eng., CIDIM’99, Vol. 1, Chile, 1999, pp.
1–16.

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