<![CDATA[Laterite nickel furnace slag is a by-product of the smelting process that still has the potential for further utilization; therefore, a comminution process is required to improve the efficiency of subsequent processing stages. This study aims to analyze the particle size distribution characteristics, determine the specific energy requirement, and calculate the Rittinger coefficient in the comminution process of laterite nickel furnace slag using a jaw crusher at PT Vale Indonesia Tbk. The research method involved crushing furnace slag using a jaw crusher with an operating power of 2.24 kW for 14.88 seconds, followed by particle size distribution analysis through sieve analysis based on the ISO 3310-1 standard. The equivalent diameter parameter was used to represent the feed size due to the irregular lump-shaped form of the material. The results showed that the equivalent diameter of the furnace slag feed was 53,435.77 μm (53.4 mm), while the characteristic product size (P80) was determined to be 1,580.09 μm (1.58 mm). The particle size distribution resulting from the comminution process exhibited a positively skewed pattern with a peak concentration at a particle size of 356 μm (70 mesh) and a frequency value of 0.58, indicating the dominance of particles within the intermediate size range (212–850 μm). The specific energy calculation showed an energy requirement of 38.74 kWh/ton to reduce the material size from feed to product. Based on the Rittinger’s law approach, the Rittinger coefficient was calculated to be 63,082.04656, representing the energy requirement characteristics associated with the formation of new surface area during the size reduction process. The findings of this study can serve as a basis for energy requirement estimation and comminution equipment specification planning for laterite nickel furnace slag processing on an industrial scale.]]>
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