Effect of particle shape on packing properties during tapping

In order to investigate the effects of particle properties, including particle shape, on packing characteristics of particles with tapping, changes in the void fraction epsilon in a tapping particle bed were measured using some materials differing in particle shape, size dp and density p. The particle shapes were characterized by image analysis of random-oriented particles and evaluated by a pair of shape indices, circularity <(<phi>)over bar> and smoothness <(<zeta>)over bar>. As a result, it was confirmed that changes in the void fraction with tapping number n can be given by a simple equation: (epsilon - epsilon (f))/(epsilon (0) - epsilon (f)) = exp(-kn(q)). Furthermore, the effects of particle properties <(<phi>)over bar>, <(<zeta>)over bar>,(dp) over bar and rho on the initial and final void fractions so and sc in a packed bed, and on the parameters k and q were clarified by multiple regression analysis of the experimental results.