Granular mixtures: Analogy with chemical solution thermodynamics

Particle dynamics simulations reveal parallels between granular mixtures and chemical solutions. Thermodynamic solution theory provides a connection between the interaction strength of the molecules, the concentration of each species in the solution, and bulk solution behavior. Particle dynamics simulations demonstrate a similar relationship between the interparticle forces, the composition of the granular mixture, and bulk flow behavior. The analogy holds true over different particle interaction types (friction or adhesion) and over different bulk properties (the angle of repose in a rotating drum and the viscosity of particles sheared between parallel plates). A solution theory for granular mixtures would provide a framework to study the properties of granular mixtures.