Fragmentation instability in aggregating systems

The inclusion of a fragmentation mechanism in population balance equations introduces complex interactions that make the analytical or even computational treatment much more difficult than for the pure aggregation case. This is specially true when variable sized fragments are allowed, because of the exponential growth in fragments size combinations with the number of monomers in the exchanges. In this contribution we present a new model that incorporates an instability threshold in the clusters, which induces arbitrary losses or gains of particles by fracture with a substantial simplification of the combinatorics of the process. The model exhibits two different regimes. •New Smoluchowski-type model with fragmentation instability in aggregating systems.•Associated experimental case study which is valuable for environmental science applications.•Cellular automaton in concordance with theoretical model and observed behavior.