Particle dynamics simulations of structures in nano-powders

Powders composed of nano-sized (< 50 nm) primary particles exhibit particle clustering, are highly dispersed, and have low relative density. The morphology of ultra-fine powders is greatly influenced by the inter-particle interactions. Considering the forces produced by Van der Waals interactions between molecules an inter-particle potential is obtained that describes the interaction between spherical nano-particles. This potential function is used to develop a computer simulation scheme to study equilibrium structures that form in such powders at various densities. The simulation scheme can also be used to investigate powder consolidation up to green body densities.