Full definition
Natural rubber (NR) or NR/SBR blend compound molded into wear-resistant panels that line the interior of grinding mills (ball mills, SAG mills, rod mills), protecting the steel shell from abrasion and impact while improving grinding efficiency and reducing noise by 10-20 dB compared to steel liners. Hardness: 35-55 Shore A (soft enough to absorb impact from grinding media). Properties: exceptional abrasion resistance (<100 mm³ DIN), high resilience (80%+ rebound — returns impact energy rather than absorbing it as wear), and excellent tear resistance. Lifter bar design: rubber lifters (for primary and pebble mills) or rubber/metal composite (rubber body with steel or chrome inserts on the leading face for maximum wear resistance). Advantages of rubber over steel: 30-50% lighter (reduces structural load and mill bearing wear), lower noise (occupational health benefit), better corrosion resistance (wet grinding environments), and longer life in many applications (2-3x steel in fine grinding, similar in coarse). Limitations: cannot withstand impact from very large grinding media (>100 mm balls — use steel or composite liners). Applications: ball mills (<6 m diameter typically), SAG mills (composite liners), and regrind mills. Brands: Metso (Megaliner, Poly-Met), Weir Minerals (Linatex), Trelleborg, and Polycorp. Per mill OEM specifications.