Powder computing

At first glance, a powder is a powder. But, look more closely and the picture is not so simple. How does a powder behave when it flows, what happens if the particles from which it is composed stick to each other, and what effect does particle size and shape have on the powder behaviour?

What if the particles are different sizes? What are the effects of friction between touching particle surfaces? The answers to such questions could provide researchers with important insights into the behaviour of granular substances with particular relevance to industrial processes involving powders. Such fundamental understanding could help manufacturers improve product quality and lower energy consumption and costs.

With EPSRC support and in collaboration with industry, Professor Kevin Kendall of The University of Birmingham department of chemical engineering has teamed up with Daresbury Laboratory’s molecular simulations experts Dr Bill Smith and Dr Chin Yong, and chemist Professor Les Woodcock of UMIST, to find a way to model powders at the atomic level using a computer.