T.R. -

Bulk handling, transport and processing of particulatematerials such as powders and granules are integral to a wide range of industrial processes in many fields [1,2] or natural, geophysical phenomena and hazards like landslides [3]. Particulate systems are difficult to handle and display unpredictable behaviour, which represents a great challenge for both design and operation of unit operations and plants, but also for the research community of Powders and Grains [4,5]. Granular materials and powders consist of discrete particles such as individual sand-grains, agglomerates (comprising ofmany primary particles), or bonded solid materials like sandstone, ceramics, or some metals or polymers sintered during additive manufacturing. The primary particles can be as small as nano-metres, micro-metres, or millimetres [6] covering multiple scales in size and a variety of mechanical interaction mechanisms. Those interactions include friction and a variety of cohesive forces [7,8], which becomes more and more important the smaller the particles are. All these particle systems have a particulate, usually disordered, inhomogeneous and often anisotropic micro-structure,which is at the core ofmany of the challenges one faces when trying to understand powder technology and granular matter