EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/J44667/01
Title: EFFECT OF PARTICLE SHAPE ON THE PACKING COMPRESSIBILITY & SHEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICULATE MATERIALS
Principal Investigator: Thornton, Dr C
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Civil & Mechanical Engineering
Organisation: Aston University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 23 March 1994 Ends: 22 September 1997 Value (£): 116,068
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Particle Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Particulate materials are complex systems; how they are affected by the shape, size and spatial distributions of their constituent particles is not clearly understood. Traditional attempts to mathematically model the mechanical behaviour of particulate material are usually based on continuum mechanics. Although continuum models have proved to be quite accurate they are incomplete since they invoke parameters which cannot be rigorously correlated with the physical properties of the particles. In order to relate macroscopic properties to the properties of the constituent particles new theories are required based on the statistical distributions of the internal micro-level variables. Such statistical mechanics formulations, however, require information about the internal micromechanical process which cannot be obtained from real experiments. Computer simulated experiments, in which the direct numerical simulation of the interactions between the constituent particles of large systems of particles is performed, circumvents many problems associated with experimental studies. In the project, computer simulated experiments are to be performed on polydisperse 3D assemblies of non-spherical particles in order to examine the effect of particle shape on the macro-and micro-mechanical behaviour of particulate media. Packing, compressibility and shear characteristics will be investigated.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.aston.ac.uk