Charging changes contact composition in binary sphere packings

Phys Rev E. 2017 Jun;95(6-1):062903. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.95.062903. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Abstract

Equal volume mixtures of small and large polytetrafluorethylene spheres are shaken in an atmosphere of controlled humidity which allows one to also control their tribocharging. We find that the contact numbers are charge dependent: As the charge density of the beads increases, the number of same-type contacts decreases and the number of opposite-type contacts increases. This change is not caused by a global segregation of the sample. Hence, tribocharging can be a way to tune the local composition of a granular material.