Particulate materials exhibit a spectacular variety of unusual and unpredictable characteristics under process loading environments - they behave differently from conventional solid, liquid and gaseous matter. The processing behaviours of particulate materials and their assemblies are extremely complex to understand when viewed at the micro-scale and below.    Researchers aim to bridge the gaps in our understanding of the role of material properties at a single-grain scale and the bulk mechanical properties of particulate assemblies. Here, I will present recent advancements in how stress sensing and microscopy measurements can be combined with advanced simulations to understand the mechanics of discrete and cementitious materials in engineering applications including chemical, civil, mechanical, space and biomedical engineering disciplines.  The research involves integrating different measurements made using photo-stress sensors, electron microscopy, IR sensors, atomic force microscopy and advanced simulations.  Using such combined approaches would be beneficial for developing new processes and products across different scales in future.

Selected References:

[1] S.J. Antony (2007) Link between single-particle properties and macroscopic properties in particulate assemblies: role of structures within structures, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series: A. 365, 2879-2891.

[2] S.J. Antony and N.P. Kruyt (2009) Role of interparticle friction and particle-scale elasticity on shear strength mechanism in three-dimensional granular media, Physical Review E, 79, 031308.

[3] S.J. Antony and M. Sultan (2009) Evolution of the invariants of stress and fabric tensors in granular systems subjected to electro-mechanical loading, Mechanics of Materials, 41(6), 742-747.

[4] N.P. Kruyt and S.J. Antony (2007) Force, relative displacement and work networks in granular media subjected to quasi-static deformation, Physical Review E, 75, 051308.

[5] S.J. Antony, A. Olugbenga and N.G. Ozerkan (2017) ‘Sensing, measuring and modelling the mechanical properties of sandstone’, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1347-3

[6] S.J. Antony, B. Arowosola, L. Richter, T. Amanbayev and T. Barakat (2017) ‘Flow behaviour of grains through the dosing station of a spacecraft under low gravitational environments’, Journal of Aerospace Engineering, ASCE, 30(6): 04017078

[7]S.J. Antony, G. Okeke, D. Tokgöz and N. Ozerkan (2017) ‘Photonics and fracture toughness of heterogeneous composite materials’, Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group, 7: 4539

[8] S.J.Antony (2015) ‘Imaging shear stress distribution and evaluating the stress concentration factor of the human eye’, Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group, 5, 8899