A fractal description of the progeny of single impact single particle breakage

An initial empiric fractal based model for the breakage of rock has been outlined, which was based on the single impact failure of single cores of rock. This incorporates the variance of specific impact energy, and to some degree the starting size, upon the resultant breakage products. The important parameter of interest is the fragmentation fractal dimension which represents the power-law size-frequency distribution of the progeny, and is in essence a measure of the degree of fineness of the population. This quantity possesses a theoretical basis and offers an alternative approach for studying comminution events. As the application of fractal geometry has become more widespread the associated terminology has been widely adopted, but it can sometimes represent a pointless shift in vocabulary. This is particularly the case with power-law relationships that do not directly relate to a physical structure. In the situation described here the notation is justified as the fragmentation fractal can be derived directly from fractal theory, and is fundamentally associated with the coastline or boundary fractal dimension of the particles within the distribution. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd