The role of dihedral angle on the control of skeleton coordination and pore closure in aggregates driven by capillary forces

On the basis of a collection of experimental data, this paper analyses the interplay between dihedral angle, coordination and particle volume fraction in aggregates governed by capillary forces. Novel data are derived via a model describing the dependence of capillary energy on aggregate topological parameters. An increase in the dihedral angle above 60° favours the formation of a skeleton with lower coordination. It is shown that dihedral angle also controls the conditions for the closure of pores.