Elastoplastic simulation of contacts among particles in granular materials

The mechanisms governing the densification of powdered materials under compaction are highly dependent on the deformation and the state of stress in the contact among particles. Therefore, a micromechanical model can be very useful in studying the phenomena involved in the compaction process. In this work numerical simulations showing the distributions of strain and stress in models containing two and four particles are presented. The evolution of the deformation in the contact area among particles, the residual stresses appeared after releasing the compressive load and their consequences on the macroscopic mechanical behaviour of powder compacts are here analyse