Influence of primary particle density in the morphology of agglomerates

TL;DR

This study uses diffusion-controlled Monte Carlo simulations to explore how primary particle density affects the morphology of agglomerates, revealing that initial density significantly influences final structure.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation approach linking primary particle density to agglomerate morphology using specific geometric indices.

Findings

Initial particle density impacts agglomerate structure

Three indices effectively characterize agglomerate geometry

Simulation results align with recent experimental observations

Abstract

Agglomeration processes occur in many different realms of science such as colloid and aerosol formation or formation of bacterial colonies. We study the influence of primary particle density in agglomerate structure using diffusion-controlled Monte Carlo simulations with realistic space scales through different regimes (DLA and DLCA). The equivalence of Monte Carlo time steps to real time scales is given by Hirsch's hydrodynamical theory of Brownian motion. Agglomerate behavior at different time stages of the simulations suggests that three indices (fractal exponent, coordination number and eccentricity index) characterize agglomerate geometry. Using these indices, we have found that the initial density of primary particles greatly influences the final structure of the agglomerate as observed in recent experimental works.