Density segregation of dry and wet granular mixtures in vibrated beds

- Density segregation in wet mixtures hindered by cohesive capillary bridge forces.
- Rate and extent of density segregation decreased with increasing amount of liquid.
- Density segregation increased with increase in particle-particle collision forces.
- Order of magnitude of collision and capillary forces similar for flotsam and jetsam.

The Discrete Element Method was coupled with a capillary liquid bridge force model for computational studies of density segregation in dry and wet binary granular mixtures in vibrated beds. Due to the presence of capillary liquid bridge forces between wet particles, relative motions between particles were hindered. Agglomerates were observed to form in the wet vibrated granular beds due to the cohesive nature of the capillary liquid bridge forces. The rate and extent of density segregation decreased with increasing amount of liquid present in the wet binary granular mixtures. The average orders of magnitudes of particle-particle collision forces and capillary liquid bridge forces were similar for both types of particles for all wet binary granular mixtures considered and this explained the difficulty for individual particles to be removed from one agglomerate and be transferred onto another agglomerate for density segregation to occur.

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