Radial segregation driven by axial migration

Abstract

Abstract. The mixing of binary particles in a short rotating drum has been studied by performing discrete element simulations. The modeled granular materials were made of particles with same size and density but different color. We observed that the binary granular system inevitably went through a transient radial segregation state before reaching the final homogeneous mixing state. Depending on the filling degree and rotating speed, there exist totally three types of transient segregation patterns. Analysis of the flow field shows that such transient radial segregating phenomena were induced by different axial transporting characteristics of material.