Abstract
This paper elaborates the cone–hemispherical gypsum particle breakages under normal contact with different particle shape parameters (contact diameter d, cone angle θ and sphere diameter D) and proposes a simple quantitative approach to discriminate breakage modes. The effects of the particle shape parameters on particle breakage are investigated through analyzing breakage processes, breakage modes and force–displacement curves. Three breakage modes are formed during the breakage experiments: peeling, peeling–splitting and splitting, corresponding to three different normal force–displacement curves. The formation of a conical core is deemed as the precondition for particle splitting. The particle breakage mode transfers from peeling to splitting with the increase in contact diameter d and cone angle θ, but a decrease in sphere diameter D. The critical normal force Fcr is positively linearly related to contact diameter d and cone angle θ, but the relationship between Fcr and sphere diameter D heavily depends on the breakage mode. Furthermore, the critical contact diameter dcr described by cone angle θ and sphere diameter D is proposed to discriminate breakage modes of the cone–hemispherical gypsum particles.
Highlights
Particle breakage of granular materials usually occurs at high stress levels in high earth–rockfill dams [1]
Particle breakage modes vary with particleDshape external conditions
Displacement curves and the effect of particle shape variables on particle breakage were investigated, and particle breakage discrimination based on particle shape was proposed
Summary
Particle breakage of granular materials usually occurs at high stress levels in high earth–rockfill dams [1]. Many experimental studies demonstrated that particle breakage could be significantly affected by the shape anisotropy of non-spherical particles [6,10,11]. Jiang et al presented a boundary–spheropolygon element method to simulate the interaction of particles and found the decrease in the circularity of particles increases the heterogeneity of the force chain and causes high tensile stress areas in certain particles, which would lead to more breakage and showed lower breakage resistance in the granular material [15]. The studies of non-spherical particle breakage are mostly for natural materials, and the quantitative analysis of particle shape on particle breakage is still scarce. The particles were molded as the cone–hemisphere with different sphere diameters, cone angles and contact diameters The influences of these variables on particle breakage mode were elaborated by analyzing breakage processes, breakage modes and force–displacement curves. To eliminate the effect of fissures, high-strength gypsum was used as the molding material in this study due to its isotropy, flawlessness and ease of molding
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