Statistical characterization of microstructure evolution during compaction of granular systems composed of spheres with hardening plastic behavior

TL;DR

This paper presents a numerical study of how microstructures evolve during the die compaction of plastic spheres, revealing relationships between particle properties, loading conditions, and microstructural features.

Contribution

It offers new insights into microstructure formation during compaction of plastic spheres with hardening behavior through extensive particle mechanics simulations.

Findings

Microstructure features depend on particle plastic properties and loading conditions.

Achievable microstructures are characterized for given particle stiffness and hardening exponent.

The study provides fundamental understanding of microstructure evolution in granular compaction.

Abstract

An extensive numerical campaign of particle mechanics calculations that predict microstructure formation and evolution during die compaction, up to relative densities close to one, of monodisperse plastic spheres that exhibit power-law plastic hardening behavior is presented. The study is focused on elucidating the relationship between particle plastic properties, loading conditions, and statistical features of the resulting microstructure. This communication provides fundamental insight into the achievable space of microstructures through die compaction, for given plastic stiffness and hardening exponent at the particle scale.