Effects of particle shape on segregation

Abstract In the significant literature relating to granular materials and their segregative behaviors, the vast majority of laboratory experiments and numerical models consider exclusively spherical particles. In both industry and nature, however, most granular media encountered will not possess perfectly spherical geometries. As such, the matter of if, and how much, the specific geometries of particles affect their segregative behaviors – and hence whether knowledge gained from such simplified systems remains valid in the real world – remains an important open question in the field. This chapter provides a comprehensive summary of recent research into the diverse effects of particle geometry on the segregation of granular media, including an overview of each of the mechanisms currently thought to drive segregation, as well as the manners in which particle geometry may influence segregation driven by other factors.