Introduction

In the oil sands mining operation, the operational stability of the surface crushing and conveying system directly determines the efficiency and economy of the entire mining process. Oil sands, as a special mineral resource with high viscosity and high mud content, have the characteristics of uneven particle size, strong viscosity and easy adhesion and accumulation, which bring huge challenges to surface crushing and material transportation. As the core crushing equipment, Mineral sizerhas solved the problems in the crushing and transportation of high-viscosity oil sands.

An Overview Of The Technical Features Of Mineral Sizer

Compared with traditional crushing equipment, Mineral sizer has been specifically optimized in terms of working speed, torque output, structural design and other aspects. In the scenario of surface crushing of oil sands, the extracted blocky oil sands are precisely crushed, taking into account both the protection of material properties and system compatibility, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent conveying process.

Mineral Sizer In Processing High-Viscosity Oil Sands

Tooth Profile Design And Self-Cleaning Function

The tooth profile of Mineral sizer adopts a combination structure of interlaced sharp and blunt teeth, which forms a combined shearing and extrusion crushing effect during the rotation of the tooth roller. For large-sized block-shaped oil sands with a diameter exceeding 300mm that are mixed in during the mining process, the toothed structure can quickly bite and apply concentrated stress, crushing them to the particle size range that meets the conveying requirements, eliminating problems such as conveyor belt blockage and chute jamming caused by large pieces of material getting stuck. The continuous rotational movement of the tooth roller, in combination with the tooth edge and tooth plate of the crushing tooth, can generate a reverse scraping effect, effectively peeling off the oil sand adhering to the tooth surface and the inner wall of the equipment, thus achieving the self-cleaning function of the equipment.

Avoid Excessive Fragmentation

During the crushing process of high-viscosity oil sands, excessive fine crushing will produce a large amount of fine powder, increasing the viscosity of the material, which leads to a sharp increase in the risk of adhesion and blockage during transportation, and also increases the difficulty of subsequent separation and processing. Mineral sizer adopts the working characteristics of low speed and high torque, and optimizes the design of the gear roller speed and the biting gap. During the crushing process, it crushes large pieces of materials that exceed the particle size requirements, while maintaining the original shape of medium and small particle size materials that meet the requirements, effectively controlling the amount of fine powder produced.

Operational Advantages

Mineral sizer features an integrated and compact structure, occupying only 1/3 to 1/2 of the space of traditional jaw crushers. It is suitable for surface crushing operations in areas with limited space. The maintenance convenience is outstanding. The tooth plate adopts a modular design, which significantly shortens the maintenance time compared to traditional crushing equipment. The replacement cycle of vulnerable parts is long. The special material tooth plate has undergone hardening treatment, which ensures a long service life when dealing with high-viscosity oil sand. The sealed bearings of Mineral sizer can effectively prevent the entry of oil sand dust, ensuring high reliability in harsh environments.

The Key Role Of Mineral Sizer In Stabilizing Conveying Systems

Control Of Oversize

In the surface conveying system of oil sands, large pieces of material are the primary factor causing conveying blockage. Once large pieces of material get stuck at the joint of the conveyor belt, the corner of the chute or the feeding port of the silo, it will not only cause the system to shut down, but also may lead to serious faults such as conveyor belt tearing and motor overload. Mineral sizer is usually installed as a primary or secondary crushing device between the mining point and the conveying system. Through preset crushing particle size parameters, it can perform real-time particle size control on the mined oil sands, ensuring the uniformity of the material entering the conveying system.

Improve The Flow Characteristics Of Oil Sands

Mineral sizer, by crushing and dissociating agglomerated oil sands, transforms them into uniform granular materials, thereby enhancing the fluidity of the materials. The contact area between the crushed oil sand particles increases, and the adhesive force relatively weakens. During the conveyor belt conveying process, a stable material flow can be formed, reducing the adhesion force between the material and the contact surface of the conveying equipment.

Reduce System Wear And Energy Consumption

Uncrushed oil sands contain a large amount of large pieces of material and sharp impurities. During the conveying process, they will cause intense impact and friction on conveyor belts, idlers, chutes and other equipment, leading to accelerated equipment wear and shortened service life. The crushing and particle size homogenization treatment of oil sands by Mineral sizer can effectively reduce the impact load of large pieces of materials on conveying equipment. The flow resistance of oil sand with uniform particle size during the conveying process is significantly reduced, the operating load of the conveyor belt motor is decreased, and the overall energy consumption of the conveying system is lowered.

Optimization Directions In The Mineral Sizer Application

Although Mineral sizer has demonstrated significant advantages in the surface crushing and conveying systems of oil sands, there is still room for optimization in its application in light of the diverse demands of oil sands extraction.

In Terms Of Tooth Profile Design

According to the viscosity, sand content and other characteristics of oil sands in different regions, adaptive tooth profile adjustment technology can be adopted to achieve precise crushing of different materials.

In Terms Of Material Upgrade

Develop more wear-resistant and anti-adhesive toothed plate materials to further extend the replacement cycle of vulnerable parts.

Conclusion

In the surface crushing and conveying system of oil sands extraction, Mineral sizer, with its unique technical principles and operational advantages, has effectively solved the problems of large material handling, excessive fine crushing control and equipment operation and maintenance during the crushing process of high-viscosity oil sands. In terms of stabilizing the conveying system, Mineral sizer has significantly enhanced the stability, efficiency and economy of the conveying system from three key dimensions: eliminating the source of blockage, improving the flow characteristics of materials, and reducing system wear and energy consumption.