Comminution
The crushing of bulk material comes into play especially in sampling, when the particles to be analyzed are too large to be analyzed directly. Shredding allows the particles to be reduced to a suitable size, making them easier to handle and analyze. A good example of this is ore sampling in the mining industry, where the ore particles often have to be crushed in order to be analyzed.
Some of the possible problems with the crushing of bulk material are:
- Modification of the sample structure: When the sample is crushed, its original structure may be changed, which may affect the analysis result.
- Contamination: The crushers can contaminate the sample if they are not properly cleaned.
- Loss of small parts: During crushing, small parts of the sample may be lost, which can lead to inaccurate analysis results.
- Increased homogeneity: Crushing can cause samples to appear more homogeneous than they actually are. In some cases, this can lead to inaccurate results because the sample is no longer representative of the original material.
- Time and energy expenditure: Shredding processes can be time-consuming and energy-intensive, resulting in higher costs.
It is therefore important to think carefully about when and how the crushing of bulk material is carried out to ensure that the analysis results are as accurate as possible.