Heating Pre-Treatment of Copper Ores and Its Effects on the Bond Work Index

Comminution is the stage with largest energy consumption in mining process. Therefore, several pre-treatments have been proposed to reduce requirements of this stage. This work analyzed effect a heating pre-treatment on Bond index. A conventional was applied Chilean copper ore. The ore heated temperatures from 300 600 °C using furnace, resulting reduction 19% Due pre-treatment, mineral cracked areas. Microfracture and composition analyses these areas confirmed that crack generation due thermal stress produced by pre-treatment. fracture analysis explains index, since started at similar those which index observed. In addition, also shows micro-cracks occur between through different phases, may an impact liberation. These results show that, under moderate high temperature, important can be obtained.