D. SANDMANN, J. GUTZMER 291
electric conductivity, mineral cleavage, discontinuities in
the material and much more) at the high voltage pulse
power fragmentation. Hence, the results of single studies
should not be transferred to another type of material
without a reinvestigation. For a decision between differ-
ent comminution techniques, factors as throughput rates,
processing time, energy costs or water consumption should
be examined too as they will affect the processing effi-
ciency and overall costs.
The present study demonstrates the capabilities of au-
tomated SEM-based image analysis systems, such as the
Mineral Liberation Analyser (MLA), for the evaluation
of industrial comminution processes. The obtained data
provide valuable key information on quantitative miner-
alogy, mineral association, particle and mineral grain
sizes, as well as mineral liberation and theoretical recov-
ery data. Results illustrate that a MLA system can be
used to constrain parameters relevant to assess comminu-
tion success in a fast and reproducible way.
5. Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Thomas Zschoge from
the Department of Mechanical Process Engineering and
Mineral Processing (TU Bergakademie Freiberg) for
supporting the conventional comminution as well as
Thomas Mütze and Thomas Leistner from the same de-
partment for fruitful discussions and helpful suggestions.
For instruction in sample processing by high voltage pulse
fragmentation, we thank Peter Segler from the Depart-
ment of Geology (TU Bergakademie Freiberg). The pre-
paration of polished grain mounts and the support during
MLA measurement by Sabine Haser and Bernhard Schulz
of the Department of Mineralogy, TU Bergakademie
Freiberg is gratefully acknowledged. This study was sup-
ported by the Nordic Researcher Network on Process
Mineralogy and Geometallurgy (ProMinNET) and was
carried as part of a BMBF-funded research project (Hy-
bride Lithiumgewinnung, Project No. 030203009).
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