Three Main Reasons Why Ball Mills Are Widely Used

Based on the moisture content of the processed materials, ball mills can be divided into dry ball mills and wet ball mills.

Fifty years ago, dry ball mills accounted for a significant market share abroad, approximately 70%.

With technological advancements and increasing demands for energy conservation and environmental protection, wet ball mills have developed rapidly and now surpass dry ball mills, accounting for over 75% of the total ball mill market.

Compared to dry ball mills, wet ball mills have the following advantages:

The investment in wet ball mills is generally lower than that in dry ball mills.

Under the same conditions, the investment in a wet ball mill is roughly equivalent to that of a typical grinding process.

Dry ball mills require additional air duct systems and more auxiliary equipment, while wet ball mills require fewer auxiliary devices and have simpler material conveying systems, resulting in an investment that is approximately 5%-10% lower than that of dry ball mills. Although wet ball mills require higher power to operate, the total energy consumption of dry ball mills (including the air duct system) is higher than that of wet ball mills.

For continuously operating dry ball mills, a thin layer of material forms between the ore surface and the liner due to the influence of ore moisture. Therefore, its energy consumption per ton of ore is 25%-30% higher than that of wet ball mills.

Dry ball mills have strict requirements on the moisture content of the raw ore. When the ore has a high clay content, the moisture content should be below 49%; when the clay content is low, a moisture content of around 5% has little impact on output.

However, excessive moisture can lead to reduced ore output or even blockage. To reduce the moisture content, additional hot air equipment is required, which increases the investment and production costs of dry ball mills.

In contrast, wet ball mills can process ores with high moisture and high clay content. When beneficiating low-grade magnetic iron ore, wet ball mills can easily achieve the required particle size and are suitable for magnetic separation.