Acta Montanistica Slovaca (Mar 2002)
Fractal analysis of sulphidic mineral
Abstract
In this paper, the application of fractal theory in the characterization of fragmented surfaces, as well as the mass-size distributions are discussed. The investigated mineral-chalcopyrite of Slovak provenience is characterised after particle size reduction processes-crushing and grinding. The problem how the different size reduction methods influence the surface irregularities of obtained particles is solved. Mandelbrot (1983), introducing the fractal geometry, offered a new way of characterization of surface irregularities by the fractal dimension. The determination of the surface fractal dimension DS consists in measuring the specific surface by the BET method in several fractions into which the comminuted chalcopyrite is sieved. This investigation shows that the specific surface of individual fractions were higher for the crushed sample than for the short-term (3 min) ground sample. The surface fractal dimension can give an information about the adsorption sites accessible to molecules of nitrogen and according to this, the value of the fractal dimension is higher for crushed sample.The effect of comminution processes on the mass distribution of particles crushed and ground in air as well as in polar liquids is also discussed. The estimation of fractal dimensions of particles mass distribution is done on the assumption that the particle size distribution is described by the power-law (1). The value of fractal dimension for the mass distribution in the crushed sample is lower than in the sample ground in air, because it is influenced by the energy required for comminution.The sample of chalcopyrite was ground (10min) in ethanol and i-butanol [which according to Ikazaki (1991)] are characterized by the parameter µ /V, where µ is its dipole moment and V is the molecular volume. The values of µ /V for the used polar liquids are of the same order. That is why the expressive differences in particle size distributions as well as in the values of fractal dimensions of fine particles distribution were not observed.
