This paper provided an overview of recent advances in simulation technologies for comminution processes, focusing on analysis techniques based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM), categorized into grinding media behavior and material particle behavior. Regarding the simulation of grinding media behavior, we explained that engineering-important physical quantities such as power consumption, grinding rate, mechanochemical reaction rate, and wear amount have strong correlations with indicators calculable from simulations, such as dissipated energy and collision energy. This indicates that a part of the design of comminution processes, which has long relied on experience and intuition, is transitioning toward theory-based design. Additionally, regarding the simulation of material particle behavior, we explained the remarkable evolution of fracture models, in addition to the analysis of grinding and agglomeration mechanisms through coupled analysis with fluids. In particular, addressing the conventional challenge of arbitrariness in parameter determination, the establishment of methods that link experimentally measurable physical quantities with model parameters represents a significant step forward in enhancing the practical utility of simulations. This enables the reproduction of real phenomena in virtual space, even for comminution processes involving complex fracture phenomena, and is expected to contribute to eliminating the black box nature of grinding.
Kizuku Kushimoto (Thu,) studied this question.