The comparison of vertical roller mill and ball mill in cement grinding

Feb. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- Traditionally, the closed circuit ball mill equipped with high efficiency separator has been the most widely used  system for cement grinding.  However, with the rapid  development of mining and grinding industry, the vertical roller mill (VRM) is now successfully being used for many clinker grinding applications and is successfully becoming the standard for new grinding installations.  The first such vertical roller mill was installed in the United States, which used as part of a total plant expansion and began operation in 8, 2002.

Vertical roller mills and ball mills represent two clearly distinct technologies. However, with proper adjustments to the operational parameters of the vertical roller mill almost identical cement properties can be achieved by the two mills that satisfy the cement user's demands.

The grinding efficiency of the vertical roller mill combined with an ability to grind,classify and – if required – dry within a single unit gives the vertical roller mill systema decided advantage over a ball mill system.

However, the grinding process applied in a vertical roller mill has the effect that the vertical roller mill is more sensitive to variations of mill feed quality and mill feed ratethan a ball mill, which makes the ball mill easier to operate. Likewise, in terms of ease of maintenance, the ball mill has an advantage over a vertical roller mill.

Aside from the consumption of electrical energy, in which respect the vertical roller mill is superior compared to a ball mill, other factors – although to a lower extent –affect the cost of operation, such as cost of grinding aid, cost of fuel for a hot airgenerator and cost of water for cooling.

Compared to a ball mill, a vertical roller mill is a very versatile mill suitable for, and easily adaptable to a wide range of products. However, a ball mill can be subject to an upgrading to a higher capacity, which is not an option for a vertical roller mill.Although cost of erection and cost for civil works show large regional variations the total cost of installation is in most cases somewhat higher for a vertical roller mill system than for a ball mill system.

It appears that quite a number of factors should be taken into consideration to make a comparative evaluation of a vertical roller mill system and a ball mill system for cement grinding although cost of electrical energy and total installation cost may bethe most significant. Since the significance of those factors may vary substantially dependent on the location of the installation, it is not possible to make a ranking order for the two grinding systems that is globally applicable. Such evaluation must  be made for the specific project taking into consideration that the effects of the various factors depend on local conditions and specific demands.

Vertical roller and ball mill, which to choose? When choosing one of them, please take your specific situation into consideration.

refer: http://www.crushingprocess.com/grinding-mills/the-compari...