The effect of the grinding method on the grain shape coefficient of black silicon carbide

Introduction. JSC Volzhsky Abrasive Plant is the sole producer of silicon carbide in Russia and the largest producer in Europe. The company employs various methods, equipment, and technologies for grinding abrasive materials, which influence the geometric parameters of the grains. The most prominent and widely used methods for grinding silicon carbide in current production are roller-press grinding and rotary grinding. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of the roller-press and rotary methods of grinding black silicon carbide, which are used at the JSC Volzhsky Abrasive Plant, on the shape factor, length, and width of the grains in the sample fractions. Research methods. The initial material obtained in accordance with the current technological process was selected after crushing in a rod mill. One sample was crushed using the roller-press method, and the other was crushed using the rotary method. The crushed silicon carbide was sieved into fractions using a Ro-Tap sieve analyzer. The geometric parameters and grain shape were determined in five fractions, and 800 grains were measured in each fraction. The horizontal projection of the grain profile was obtained using an Altami SM0870-T optical stereoscopic microscope. Special software was used to process the projections and determine the geometric parameters. Results and discussion. It has been established that the shape factor and grain length follow the maximum value law, while the width follows the normal distribution law. The strength of the correlation between geometric parameters ranges from weak to strong, and the direction of the relationships varies from positive to negative. Graphical dependencies are presented, demonstrating the correlation and regression relationships between the geometric parameters of the grains in the fractions. Rotary grinding results in an average increase of 5% in the number of isometric grains compared to roller-press grinding, while the number of needle-like grains decreases by a factor of 3. The research findings are intended for optimizing the formulation and manufacturing technology of abrasive and refractory products.