In the tests, a 3.5-m-diameter by 6.0-m-long industrial tubular ball mill driven by a three-phase motor (YTM630-6, 1000 kW, 985 r/min) was operated at 17.57 rpm (77% of critical speed). In the mill, the charge of steel balls was made up of three different diameter balls: 40, 50 and 60 mm corresponding to 40%, 40%, 20% mass ratio, respectively.