Borg, SĐharfe, Leŵpp ‐ VeRo Liďerator – CoŶfereŶĐe ProĐeediŶgs ‐ PhysiĐal SeparatioŶ ϮϬϭ7, Falŵouth, CorŶwall ϭ Fiǀe Years of IŶŶoǀatiǀe VeRo Liďerator® CoŵŵiŶutioŶ – Froŵ IŶǀeŶtioŶ to IŶdustrial‐sĐale Pilot Phase TestiŶg Gƌegoƌ Boƌg ϭ,Ϯ , Felidž “Đhaƌfe ϭ , aŶd Chƌistof Leŵpp ϯ ϭ PM“ GŵďH, Aďteistƌasse ϭ, D‐ϮϬϭϰϵ Haŵďuƌg, GeƌŵaŶLJ Ϯ EĐoŶoŵiĐ GeologLJ aŶd PetƌologLJ, MaƌtiŶ Lutheƌ UŶiǀeƌsitLJ Halle‐WitteŶďeƌg GeƌŵaŶLJ ;ĐoƌƌespoŶdiŶg authoƌͿ: gƌegoƌ.ďoƌg@geo.uŶi‐halle.de ϯ ‘oĐk MeĐhaŶiĐs/EŶgiŶeeƌiŶg GeologLJ, MaƌtiŶ Lutheƌ UŶiǀeƌsitLJ Halle‐WitteŶďeƌg, GeƌŵaŶLJ AďstraĐt The effiĐieŶĐLJ iŵpƌoǀeŵeŶt iŶ the ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ of oƌes has ďeeŶ oŶ the iŶteƌŶatioŶal ageŶda of the ŵiŶiŶg iŶdustƌLJ foƌ soŵe tiŵe ďut suďstaŶtial adǀaŶĐes aƌe still ƌelatiǀelLJ sĐaƌĐe. It is geŶeƌallLJ agƌeed upoŶ that ŵajoƌ goals iŶĐlude a suďstaŶtiallLJ ƌeduĐed eŶeƌgLJ ĐoŶsuŵptioŶ, sLJsteŵs that opeƌate dƌLJ, ŵaƌkedlLJ eŶhaŶĐed paƌtiĐle size ƌeduĐtioŶ, aŶd iŵpƌoǀed paƌtiĐle liďeƌatioŶ. The Ve‘o Liďeƌatoƌ® has ďeeŶ iŶǀeŶted soŵe fiǀe LJeaƌs ago aŶd applies a ĐoŵpletelLJ Ŷeǁ, ŵeĐhaŶiĐal ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ pƌiŶĐiple, ǁhiĐh applies high‐ǀeloĐitLJ aŶd high‐fƌeƋueŶĐLJ iŵpaĐt ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ. The iŶdustƌial sĐale ϭϬϬ t/h Ve‘o Liďeƌatoƌ® pƌototLJpe featuƌes a ǀeƌtiĐal fouƌ‐fold adžle‐iŶ‐adžle sLJsteŵ, eƋuipped ǁith a laƌge Ŷuŵďeƌ of haŵŵeƌ tools, ǁhiĐh ƌotate oŶ thƌee leǀels ĐloĐkǁise aŶd aŶtiĐloĐkǁise agaiŶst eaĐh otheƌ. The ƌesultiŶg high‐fƌeƋueŶĐLJ, high‐ǀeloĐitLJ iŵpaĐts Đause a highlLJ tuƌďuleŶt paƌtiĐle floǁ aŶd tƌiggeƌ fƌaĐtuƌe ŶuĐleatioŶ aŶd fƌaĐtuƌe pƌopagatioŶ pƌefeƌeŶtiallLJ at aŶd aloŶg phase ďouŶdaƌies. Bƌeakage oĐĐuƌs fƌoŵ the high‐ǀeloĐitLJ stiŵulatioŶ of paƌtiĐles, ǁheƌe the elastiĐitLJ aŶd ĐoŵpƌessiďilitLJ ŵodules ĐoŶtƌol diffeƌeŶtial paƌtiĐle ďehaǀiouƌ. This diffeƌeŶtial ďehaǀiouƌ ƌesults iŶ the ďuild‐up of stƌess aloŶg paƌtiĐle ďouŶdaƌies aŶd eǀeŶtual failuƌe aŶd ďƌeakage ŶuĐleatioŶ oŶ ŵiŶeƌal phase ďouŶdaƌies. FƌaĐtuƌe ŶuĐleatioŶ aŶd fƌaĐtuƌe pƌopagatioŶ oŶ paƌtiĐle ďouŶdaƌies ƌatheƌ thaŶ Đƌoss‐ ďouŶdaƌLJ ďƌeakage edžplaiŶs the high degƌee of liďeƌatioŶ aŶd loǁ eŶeƌgLJ ĐoŶsuŵptioŶ, Đoŵpaƌed to tƌaditioŶal ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ sLJsteŵs that featuƌe ďƌeakage deǀelopŵeŶt paƌallel to ߪϭ ďetǁeeŶ poiŶt‐loads. CuƌƌeŶt ƌeseaƌĐh aŶd high‐ǀeloĐitLJ iŵpaĐt edžpeƌiŵeŶts suppoƌt ouƌ postulated ďƌeakage pƌiŶĐiple aŶd fuƌtheƌ ouƌ uŶdeƌstaŶdiŶg of this Ŷeǁ aŶd uŶĐoŶǀeŶtioŶal ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ pƌoĐess. The iŵpƌoǀed ďƌeakage ďehaǀiouƌ ƌesults iŶ a dƌastiĐallLJ ƌeduĐed eŶeƌgLJ ĐoŶsuŵptioŶ of ďetǁeeŶ ϯ aŶd ϭϯ kWh/t, ǀeƌLJ high degƌees of paƌtiĐle liďeƌatioŶ, aŶd paƌtiĐle size ƌeduĐtioŶ ƌatios of up to ϲ.ϮϱϬ iŶ siŶgle pass ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ. The Ve‘o Liďeƌatoƌ® ĐaŶ eitheƌ ƌeplaĐe seǀeƌal ĐoŶǀeŶtioŶal ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ steps oƌ ĐaŶ ƌeduĐe the appliĐatioŶ of less ;eŶeƌgLJͿ effiĐieŶt teĐhŶiƋue to a ŵiŶiŵuŵ. The iŶǀeŶtioŶ aŶd pƌoduĐtioŶ of the fiƌst iŶdustƌial‐sĐale pƌototLJpe ;ϮϬϭϭ‐ϮϬϭϮͿ ǁas folloǁed ďLJ edžteŶsiǀe test ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ of ďulk saŵples of a ǁide ƌaŶge of tLJpiĐal oƌes fƌoŵ ǀaƌious ŵiŶes aƌouŶd the ǁoƌld ;ϮϬϭϮ‐ϭϬϭϰͿ. This test ǁoƌk ǁas aĐĐoŵpaŶied ďLJ iŶdepeŶdeŶt geoŵetalluƌgiĐal aŶd ŵiŶeƌalogiĐal doĐuŵeŶtatioŶ aŶd ƌeseaƌĐh ;ϮϬϭϯ‐ϮϬϭϱͿ. IŶ‐house pƌeseŶtatioŶs to ŵiŶiŶg houses aŶd at iŶteƌŶatioŶal ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ ĐoŶfeƌeŶĐes dƌeǁ stƌoŶg iŶdustƌial iŶteƌest aŶd ƌesulted iŶ eǀeŶ ŵoƌe edžteŶsiǀe test ĐoŵŵiŶutioŶ of ǀaƌious tLJpes of iŶdustƌLJ‐supplied oƌes aŶd sŵelteƌ‐slags ;ϮϬϭϱ‐ϮϬϭϲͿ. PƌeseŶtlLJ, the fiƌst iŶdustƌial‐sĐale pilot test phase is ďeiŶg lauŶĐhed joiŶtlLJ ďLJ PM“ aŶd AŶglo AŵeƌiĐaŶ to test the Ve‘o Liďeƌatoƌ® at oŶe of theiƌ opeƌatioŶs ďegiŶŶiŶg iŶ ϮϬϭϳ.