Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

The Newcastle University research output collection, currently available on ePrints, will shortly be moving to a new open repository platform, Figshare. To prepare for the data migration we have paused adding new content to ePrints, and will resume once the new repository is launched. During this time you will continue to have access to ePrints (but no new content will appear). We will share updates here when available.

Electro-mechanical insights into the mixing of conductive and non-conductive sands at an interface

Lookup NU author(s): Chao ZhangORCiD, Dr Sadaf MaramizonouzORCiD, Changrong YangORCiD, Dr David MilledgeORCiD, Dr Sadegh NadimiORCiD

Downloads

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2024. This paper investigates the electrical behaviour of an electrically conductive sand particle when mixed with non-conductive silica sand, commonly used in the railway industry. Laboratory tests and numerical simulations are conducted to assess the effect of mixing on the electrical conduction properties at the metal-to-metal interface under mechanical loading. Results from compression tests demonstrate that mixing with even 5 % mass of conductive particles can significantly reduce electrical resistance at the interface; however, the decrease in electrical resistance gradually slows down when the mixing ratio of conductive particles exceeds 10 %. Discrete element modelling of high pressure torsion tests – enhanced with a newly proposed electro-mechanical contact model – reveal that fine conductive particles are more effective than coarse particles in reducing interfacial electrical resistance at equal mixing ratios. A heatmap is proposed to estimate the percentage of conductive particles required to bring the resistance of the interface below the critical threshold of 10 Ω for track circuit, which links the resistivity of various conductive particles with their required mixing ratio.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Zhang C, Maramizonouz S, Yang C, Milledge D, Lewis R, Nadimi S

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Powder Technology

Year: 2025

Volume: 458

Print publication date: 31/05/2025

Online publication date: 28/03/2025

Acceptance date: 27/03/2025

Date deposited: 14/04/2025

ISSN (print): 0032-5910

ISSN (electronic): 1873-328X

Publisher: Elsevier BV

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2025.120991

DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.120991

Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.

Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric

Share