Particle size and boundary geometry effects on the bulk friction coefficient of sheared granular materials in the inertial regime

Glass beads of varying diameters (d=2,3,4d=2,3,4, and 5 mm) are used to measure the ratio of shear-to-normal stress, or bulk friction coefficient, generated inside an annular shear cell at high shearing rates. The effects of the particle size, the solids concentration, and the shear rate are explored. It is found that (1) for a given particle size, the magnitude of the bulk friction coefficient decreases with increasing solids concentration, (2) for a given solids concentration, the bulk friction coefficient decreases with increasing particle size, and (3) the bulk friction coefficient is independent of the shear rate except for cases with low solids concentration, where it decreases with increasing shear rate. The boundary geometry is found to affect bulk friction only for dilute (low solids concentration) flows involving small particles.