Aging in humid granular media

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2002 Aug;66(2 Pt 1):021304. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.66.021304. Epub 2002 Aug 23.

Abstract

Aging behavior is an important effect in the friction properties of solid surfaces. In this paper we investigate the temporal evolution of the static properties of a granular medium by studying the aging over time of the maximum stability angle of submillimetric glass beads. We report the effect of several parameters on these aging properties, such as the wear on the beads, the stress during the resting period, and the humidity content of the atmosphere. Aging effects in an ethanol atmosphere are also studied. These experimental results are discussed at the end of the paper.