Geometrical and transport properties of random packings of polydisperse spheres

• Published in: Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Vol. 77; no. 6 Pt 2; p. 066306
• Main Authors: Mourzenko, V, Thovert, J-F, Vizika, O, Adler, P M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Physical Society 01-06-2008
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Sciences of the Universe
• ISSN: 1539-3755; 1550-2376
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.77.066306

Loose packings of spheres with bidisperse or log-normal distributions are generated by random sequential deposition. Porosity, conductivity, and permeability are determined. The porosities correspond to loose packings, but they follow the usual trends for bidisperse packings. The conductivity and permeability follow power laws as functions of the porosity of the packings. Several other quantities such as the classical Kozeny constant are successfully represented as functions of porosity. Some dimensionless representations gather the numerical data on curves valid for all particle distributions. Finally, comparisons with experimental data are satisfactory.