A regime map for the normal surface impact of wet and dry agglomerates

Abstract

The normal surface impacts of wet and dry agglomerates are simulated in a discrete element modeling framework. While the impact behavior of dry agglomerates has been addressed previously, similar studies on wet agglomerate impact are missing. By adding a small amount of liquid to a dry agglomerate, the impact behavior changes significantly. The impact behavior of the agglomerates at different moisture contents and impact energies are analyzed through postimpact parameters and coupled to their microscopic and macroscopic properties. While increasing the impact energy breaks more interparticle bonds and intensifies damage and fragmentation, increasing the moisture content is found to provide the agglomerates with higher deformability and resistance against breakage. It is shown that the interplay of the two latter parameters together with the agglomerate structural strength creates various impact scenarios, which are classified into different regimes and addressed with a regime map. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1975–1985, 2018