SPP 1486:  Particles in Contact - Micromechanics, Microprocess Dynamics and Particle Collectives

• Subject Area: Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering
• Term: from 2010 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 130482265

The particle interactions of granular matter essentially determine the material properties of many particulate products (fillers, pigments, powdered materials or drugs) and natural particulate solids (aerosols, soils, sludge or dust). The processes of generation, conversion and manufacturing of particulate products are decisively influenced by particle interactions as well.
The main objective of the Priority Programme is to understand the physico-chemical fundamentals and micro processes at approach, in contact and at detachment of adhesive particles and to beneficially apply this knowledge for the product design in particle technology. To understand means to model the micromechanics by cause-effect-response relations. In detail, the stress-strain, force-displacement, moment-angle and potential-separation functions of the six mechanical degrees of freedom in particle translation and rotation are modelled and combined.
With this information the collective behaviour of property-distributed particles can be predicted not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. The interdisciplinary solution of such wide-scaling objective has not been possible up to now. But by emerging developments in simulation methods and measurement technologies this objective to understand particles in contact can be solved within acceptable time. By knowing contact mechanics one may numerically calculate spatial positions, velocities, accelerations and energies of all particles as system. So that the process dynamics of property-distributed particle collectives can be more realistically simulated than before versus large length and time scales.
The extraordinary quality of this Priority Programme consists in innovative, contact model related quantitative prediction of macroscopic product behaviour and process dynamics of realistic and industrial relevant property-distributed particle collectives. This can only be accomplished by multiscale and multidisciplinary research methodology. Physicists, chemists, mechanists and process engineers from Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria collaborate in 25 projects to solve this challenging objective within the next years.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• International Connection: Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland

Projects

• Accessing the contact mechanics of particle systems with an emphasis on the interaction with specific technological relevant surfaces based on scanning probe techniques (Applicant Staedler, Thorsten )
• Adhesion farces between rough silica particles under humid conditions (Applicants Peterlik, Herwig ;  Wendland, Martin )
• Adhesion Mechanisms and Nanomechanics of the Contact Interfaces between TiO2 Nanoparticles in Films and Aggregates - Phase 3 (Applicants Colombi Ciacchi, Lucio ;  Mädler, Lutz )
• Contact mechanisms of particle systems in ultrasound agitation (Applicant Fritsching, Udo )
• Contact phenomena during high velocity collisions of nanoparticles with surfaces (Applicants Pöschel, Thorsten ;  Weber, Alfred )
• Coordination funding (Applicant Hintz, Werner )
• Deformation, rolling and sliding of particles and particle aggregates (Applicants Auernhammer, Günter K. ;  Vollmer, Doris )
• Development and Characterisation of the structure of cohesive bulk solids (Applicants Kwade, Arno ;  Wolf, Dietrich )
• Dynamische Simulation hochelastischer, hochfeiner, nicht-konvexer und polyedrischer disperser Feststoffe unter Einbeziehung von Adhäsion und Teilchenbruch (Applicant Eberhard, Peter )
• Effect of surface properties on adhesion and friction of particle systems (Applicant Peukert, Wolfgang )
• Electric Conduction, Adhesion Forces and Discharge Processes in a Particle-Particle-Contact - Highly Resistive Materials (Applicant Riebel, Ulrich )
• Emission of Microwaves and Light during the Contact Deformation and Breakage of Particles (Applicant Aman, Sergej )
• Entwicklung eines konstitutiven Stoffgesetzes zur Beschreibung des Versagens gepresster Grünkörper in der Pulvermetallurgie (Applicant Schmidt, Ingo )
• Experimental examination of the redispersion behavior of particles in electrostatic fields (Applicant Walzel, Peter )
• Investigation on the Adhesion Mechanisms of Magnetic Composite Particles with the Centrifuge Method (Applicant Nirschl, Hermann )
• Mechanical interactions of micrometer-sized particles based on calibrated contact models (Applicants Bröckel, Ulrich ;  Heinrich, Stefan )
• Mechanical properties of dense granular assemblies in the presence of wetting liquids. (Applicants Herminghaus, Stephan ;  Herrmann, Hans J. )
• Modeling of the contact behavior of fine adhesive particles (Applicant Scheffler, Franziska )
• Molecular UHV-FTIR studies of adsorbate covered TiO2-microparticle surfaces (Applicant Grundmeier, Guido )
• Service project for the production of surface-modified reference materials to alter the contact properties (Applicant Hintz, Werner )
• Simulation of the adhesion-moments caused by van der Waals-interactions between rough particles and smooth walls in gaseous environment (Applicant Schmidt, Eberhard )
• Sintering kinetics for polymer particles (Applicant Kappl, Michael )
• Sintering - Modeling of Pressure-, Temperature-, or Time-Dependent Contacts (Applicant Luding, Stefan )
• Stochastic nature of granular particle interaction and its influence on the system dynamics (Applicant Pöschel, Thorsten )
• Stochastic spatiotemporal analysis of 3D particle systems under shear and statistical validation of numerical DEM simulations (Applicant Schmidt, Volker )
• The importance of interaction between particles for the application of powder for inhalation (Applicants Scherließ, Regina ;  Sommerfeld, Martin )
• Understanding and manipulation of contact forces and corresponding bulk flow properties of chemically modified nanoparticles at controlled capillary bridge formation (Applicants Grundmeier, Guido ;  Schmid, Hans-Joachim )
• Untersuchungen zum Aufbau nanostrukturierter Partikelagglomerate als Wirkstoff-Trägersysteme durch gezielte Reagglomeration von Nanopartikel in Strömungen (Applicant Karbstein, Heike )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Sergiy Antonyuk, since 11/2015