How to Choose the Right Crusher for Different Materials?

Matching Crushers to Materials

Selecting the right crusher for your material is one of the most important decisions in plant design. Using the wrong crusher leads to poor product quality, excessive wear, high operating costs and reduced equipment life. This guide helps match crushers to materials.

Key Material Properties

Hardness (Mohs Scale):

• Soft (Mohs 1-3): Talc, gypsum, limestone
• Medium (Mohs 4-6): Granite, iron ore, basalt
• Hard (Mohs 7-8): Quartzite, granite, chert

Abrasiveness:

• Low: Limestone, coal, talc
• Medium: Granite, basalt, river gravel
• High: Quartz, trap rock, iron ore

Moisture Content:

• Dry (< 2%): No significant impact
• Moderate (2-5%): May cause sticking
• Wet (> 5%): Risk of blockage, may require washing

Crusher Types and Best Applications

Jaw Crushers — Best For:

• Primary crushing of all material types
• Large feed sizes (up to 1500mm)
• Hard and abrasive materials
• High reduction ratios

Best Materials: Granite, basalt, iron ore, limestone, river gravel, recycled concrete

Not Ideal For: Sticky materials, materials with high clay content

Cone Crushers — Best For:

• Secondary and tertiary crushing
• Hard, abrasive rock
• Consistent product shape
• High-capacity applications

Best Materials: Granite, basalt, iron ore, copper ore, gold ore, medium-hard limestone

Not Ideal For: Very soft materials, highly slabby feed

Impact Crushers (HSI) — Best For:

• Soft to medium-hard materials
• Producing cubical product shape
• Recycling applications
• Manufacturing sand (VSI)

Best Materials: Limestone, sandstone, coal, asphalt, concrete recycling, softer granite

Not Ideal For: Very hard, abrasive materials (unless using heavy-duty options)

Material-Specific Recommendations

Limestone:

• Primary: Jaw or Impact
• Secondary: Cone (for cubical aggregate) or Impact (for manufactured sand)
• Key consideration: Moisture can cause sticking in cone crushers

Granite/Basalt (Hard, Abrasive):

• Primary: Jaw crusher (handles hard material and large feed)
• Secondary/Tertiary: Cone crusher (standard choice for hard rock)
• Consider VSI for manufactured sand
• Key consideration: High wear — use premium wear parts

Iron Ore/Copper Ore:

• Primary: Jaw or Gyratory (large mines)
• Secondary/Tertiary: Cone crusher
• Consider HPGR for fine grinding in some applications
• Key consideration: Heavy-duty design required for competent ore

Sandstone:

• Primary: Jaw or Impact
• Secondary: Cone or Impact
• Key consideration: Silica content requires dust control

Coal:

• Primary: Jaw or Impact
• Secondary: Roll crusher or Impact
• Key consideration: Soft material — avoid over-crushing

Recycled Concrete:

• Primary: Impact crusher (handles rebar and debris)
• Secondary: Impact or Jaw with non-concussive settings
• Key consideration: Remove rebar with magnetic separator

Questions to Ask When Selecting

1. What is the material's hardness (Mohs scale)?
2. How abrasive is the material?
3. What is the feed size distribution?
4. What product size is required?
5. What throughput is needed?
6. How important is product shape?
7. What are the operating hours per year?

WSHT's applications engineering team can help analyze your material and recommend the optimal crusher configuration. Share your ore sample or material specifications for a customized recommendation.