In comminution, particle breakage starts with crack induction and propagation. The path of cracks defines the breakage mode, e.g. preferential in phase breakage or phase boundary breakage. For investigating crack formation behavior, the description by displacement fields can be applied. The displacement fields of the mineral phases can then be used to understand breakage mode and liberation. Ore texture and operational conditions such as loading mechanisms will affect the system. One of the ore texture aspects is the ore texture heterogeneity, which is a complex quantity comprising mineral heterogeneity, geometrical heterogeneity, weak grain boundaries, and micro-cracks. This study aims at investigating the effects of ore texture and loading displacement rate on minerals breakage mode. By knowing minerals breakage mode it is possible to identify the factors which affect minerals liberation and optimizing these factors in order to liberate minerals even in coarser size fractions. The approach is to describe the spatial displacement fields in different ore textures. In order to obtain these, in-situ compression loading tests with different displacement rates were conducted, followed by X-ray computed micro-tomography (XCT) and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC). In addition, the resulting cracks from ore breakage were analyzed and quantified in order to analyze the breakage mode. Moreover, XCT imaging was used for tracking the propagated cracks in the third dimension. For identifying mineral phases, automated scanning electron microscopy (SEM) complemented by energy dispersive spectroscopy was applied. The outcomes showed that both ore texture and loading mechanism should be considered for describing crack formation and consequently mineral liberation.

Mineral liberation and size reduction are the most critical steps before mineral separation. Several investigations showed that mineral liberation degree could be affected by ore texture and/or loading mechanisms. However, varied definitions have been used for the breakage fundamentals as the leading cause of mineral liberation. This review identifies the breakage fundamentals and analyzes them in terms of process and ore breakage behavior. It is highlighted that the breakage fundamentals are essential for optimizing of comminution environments and designing the comminution machines. Three main areas of breakage processes in regard to fundamentals of breakage are classified and addressed as “Loading mechanism”, “Breakage mechanism”, and “Breakage mode”. Despite the fact that many advances have been made in the design of the comminution machines; still, the combined effect of breakage fundamentals and ore properties such as ore texture in a quantitative manner is not fully understood. In this regard, this study identifies and discusses the material and process factors influencing the breakage phenomenon. This potentially paves the way for improving the comminution environment concerning a particular ore type.

Mineral liberation as the main purpose of comminution in ore beneficiation is not applied in the design of comminution machines or even often neglected in designing comminution circuits. In addition, other factors critical for comminution efficiency such as fracture energy, and particle fragmentation are rarely considered. The current study investigates the combined effects of particle textural properties and process operational conditions on the fragmentation of bed particle. In particular, the influence of ore texture and loading displacement rate (as the material and machine properties) on particle specific fracture energy, breakage mode, liberation, and fragmentation was studied. The results indicate that ore textures with coarsest grain sizes and lower quantities of cleavage minerals have the least amount of fracture energy. In terms of fragmentation, a lower displacement rates results in higher quantities of the fragmented particles compared to the higher displacement rate. Among studied ore textures, two types of hematite ore textures which had the coarsest grain sizes had lower liberation in finer size fractions. Overall, the outcomes show that the displacement rate and ore texture can affect the specific fracture energy, particle fragmentation, mineral liberation, and breakage mode at different degrees.

Understanding and optimizing the comminution process in terms of mineral liberation, fragmentation, and fracture energy are aligned with sustainable approaches and overall international goals of green solutions. This study investigates the combined effect of material properties (ore textural features) and process factors (displacement rate) on mineral liberation, fracture energy, and fragmentation. For achieving this aim, multivariate data analysis tools are used to examine the fragmentation by compression of multiple layers of iron oxide minerals in a particle bed. The results indicate that ore textural features distinctively influence particle fragmentation, mineral liberation, and fracture energy and the ore textural effects are more pronounced compared to displacement rate.