*Article* **Industrial Vertical Stirred Mills Screw Liner Wear Profile Compared to Discrete Element Method Simulations**

**Priscila M. Esteves 1,\*, Douglas B. Mazzinghy 1, Roberto Galéry <sup>1</sup> and Luís C. R. Machado <sup>2</sup>**


**Abstract:** Vertical stirred mills have been widely applied in the minerals industry, due to its greater efficiency in comparison with conventional tumbling mills. In this context, the agitator liner wear plays an important role in maintenance planning and operational costs. In this paper, we use the discrete element method (DEM) wear simulation to evaluate the screw liner wear. Three different mill rotational velocities are evaluated in the simulation, according to different scale-up procedures. The wear profile, wear measurement, power consumption, and particle contact information are used for obtaining a better understanding of the wear behavior and its effects on grinding mechanisms. Data from a vertical stirred mill screw liner wear measurement obtained in a full-scale mill are used to correlate with simulation results. The results indicate a relative agreement with industrial measurement in most of the liner lifecycle, when using a proper mill velocity scale-up.


**Citation:** Esteves, P.M.; Mazzinghy, D.B.; Galéry, R.; Machado, L.C.R. Industrial Vertical Stirred Mills Screw Liner Wear Profile Compared to Discrete Element Method Simulations. *Minerals* **2021**, *11*, 397. https:// doi.org/10.3390/min11040397

Academic Editor: Luís Marcelo M. Tavares Received: 5 August 2020 Accepted: 21 September 2020 Published: 10 April 2021

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**Keywords:** Vertimill; Tower Mill; liner wear; fine grinding; discrete element method
