Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction

This study investigates the effect of thermal pretreatment on the grindability and energy efficiency of chalcopyrite ore using a ball mill, employing Box–Behnken design and statistical analysis to optimize key grinding parameters. The research utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffr...

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Main Authors: Kaveh Asgari, Qingqing Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Energies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2989
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author Kaveh Asgari
Qingqing Huang
author_facet Kaveh Asgari
Qingqing Huang
author_sort Kaveh Asgari
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the effect of thermal pretreatment on the grindability and energy efficiency of chalcopyrite ore using a ball mill, employing Box–Behnken design and statistical analysis to optimize key grinding parameters. The research utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to assess the structural changes in the ore after pretreatment at 300 °C and 600 °C. These analyses revealed significant modifications in the chalcopyrite structure, including reduced crystallinity, formation of new phases (such as oxides), and the development of microcracks, which contributed to improved grinding performance. Statistical analysis of the results showed that thermal pretreatment reduced specific energy consumption by approximately 10% and enhanced the particle size reduction (P80). The Box–Behnken design was used to optimize the mill speed and ball filling ratio, further improving energy efficiency. Results showed that reducing the mill speed decreased energy consumption while maintaining an optimal P80, whereas increasing the ball filling ratio reduced energy usage but resulted in a coarser product. Overall, this study demonstrated that thermal pretreatment, combined with optimized milling parameters through statistical design, can significantly enhance energy efficiency and grinding performance in chalcopyrite ore processing, offering practical solutions for industrial mineral processing.
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spelling doaj-art-398c7dc9c74c44db99d96249762d3e972025-08-20T02:32:52ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011811298910.3390/en18112989Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy ReductionKaveh Asgari0Qingqing Huang1Department of Mining Engineering, West Virginia University, 1374 Evansdale Drive, 365 Mineral Resources Building, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADepartment of Mining Engineering, West Virginia University, 1374 Evansdale Drive, 365 Mineral Resources Building, Morgantown, WV 26506, USAThis study investigates the effect of thermal pretreatment on the grindability and energy efficiency of chalcopyrite ore using a ball mill, employing Box–Behnken design and statistical analysis to optimize key grinding parameters. The research utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to assess the structural changes in the ore after pretreatment at 300 °C and 600 °C. These analyses revealed significant modifications in the chalcopyrite structure, including reduced crystallinity, formation of new phases (such as oxides), and the development of microcracks, which contributed to improved grinding performance. Statistical analysis of the results showed that thermal pretreatment reduced specific energy consumption by approximately 10% and enhanced the particle size reduction (P80). The Box–Behnken design was used to optimize the mill speed and ball filling ratio, further improving energy efficiency. Results showed that reducing the mill speed decreased energy consumption while maintaining an optimal P80, whereas increasing the ball filling ratio reduced energy usage but resulted in a coarser product. Overall, this study demonstrated that thermal pretreatment, combined with optimized milling parameters through statistical design, can significantly enhance energy efficiency and grinding performance in chalcopyrite ore processing, offering practical solutions for industrial mineral processing.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2989chalcopyrite oreball millBox–Behnken designenergy reduction
spellingShingle Kaveh Asgari
Qingqing Huang
Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
Energies
chalcopyrite ore
ball mill
Box–Behnken design
energy reduction
title Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
title_full Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
title_fullStr Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
title_short Investigating the Effect of Thermal Pretreatment on Chalcopyrite Grinding for Comminution Energy Reduction
title_sort investigating the effect of thermal pretreatment on chalcopyrite grinding for comminution energy reduction
topic chalcopyrite ore
ball mill
Box–Behnken design
energy reduction
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2989
work_keys_str_mv AT kavehasgari investigatingtheeffectofthermalpretreatmentonchalcopyritegrindingforcomminutionenergyreduction
AT qingqinghuang investigatingtheeffectofthermalpretreatmentonchalcopyritegrindingforcomminutionenergyreduction