Experimental and numerical tests of the compaction process of loose material in the form of sawdust

Abstract

The paper presents experimental investigations of the compaction process of loose material in the form of sawdust. These were compacted in the sleeve-punch assembly adapted for installation on a strength testing machine. Sawdust was compacted with a force suitable to obtain the desired compressive stress in the sample cross-section. The effect of the composition of the compacted sample was investigated by adding pine sawdust to 50% of the total sample's weight. The experimental compaction process was simulated by building its numerical model using the Drucker-Prager-Cap model. Obtained results of experimental tests carried out on a strength testing machine allowed to establish a numerical model of the sawdust compaction process in the Abaqus program and to assess the possibility of using the Drucker-Prager-Cap model for numerical simulation of compaction process of loose materials in the form of sawdust.

Keywords

• biomass
• natural polymers
• compaction
• Drucker-Prager-Cap model
• numerical simulation