Industrial processes associated with granular materials are often rudimentary, based on poorly optimized empirical rules. Human issues related to natural phenomena involving granular materials are also important: landslides, for example, annually claim tens of thousands of victims worldwide.

Understanding of the flows of granular materials is thus an important issue that covers different industrial domains at the same time and has an international dimension of economic, environmental and societal importance.

Among the modeling challenges, particle size evolution in a granular flow due to grain crushing or attrition and its retro-action of the flow rheology stands out for its complexity. This phenomenon is present in many industrial operations (mixing, transport, storage, crushing, grinding, granulation ...), but also in geophysical flows (landslides, flows and risks attached), and extraterrestrials (rings of Saturn).

In order to provide a discussion platform which we hope should ultimately contribute to solve some key problems for the modeling of particle breakage in granular flow, this  colloquium will put together researchers working on related subjects (granular flow, population balances, particle breakage,…).

The colloquium  will take place in Nantes, France, on March 24 and 25, 2020.

The local organizers

Riccardo Artoni, Patrick Richard

IFSTTAR Nantes