Microscale DEM simulation of spray-dried porcelain granules under uniaxial compaction

The microscale modeling of spray-dried granules for porcelain tile manufacturing with different moisture con-tents under uniaxial compaction is investigated in this paper. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Bonded Particle Model (BPM) were applied for the investigation. To describe the mechanical behavior of granules during compression, an elastic-plastic bonded model was implemented, in which the moisture content is linked to the properties of the bonds. A good agreement was reached between experiments and simulations for the second and third stages of compaction. Herein, we obtained a mathematical model that links moisture, bond behavior during rupture, and porosity after compression. Different experimental studies have validated the model with high-achieving correspondence between the experiments and simulations. Thus, the proposed simulation methodology proved effective in predicting the porosity of the particles' bulk after uniaxial compaction.