TENSILE-STRENGTH OF WET GRANULAR-MATERIALS

The dimensionless tensile strength sigma d/alpha of wet granular mater ials with saturation levels in the plateau region of the pendular stat e was correlated with the void fraction of the agglomerate. The correl ation fitted well with experimental measurements carried out on glass beads of diameter 93 mu m and with literature data, and was an improve ment over the traditional Rumpf model. The tensile strength at other s aturations could be easily derived from the proposed correlation. The effects of bed height in the tester cell, liquid saturation levels in the agglomerate, chemical additives and non-uniformity of the packing of the powder mass were also investigated.