The behavior of agglomerates under tensile strain

This paper deals with the tensile strength and strain behavior of agglomerates. For moist agglomerates the tensile strength in the whole region of liquid saturation may be described. The theory agrees well with the experimental results. For agglomerates bound together by liquid bridges, a model which reproduces the force-displacement behavior of agglomerates under unidirectional loading is proposed. The validity of this model is demonstrated with the help of a specially developed apparatus which enables the strain for a given force to be measured. The theoretically and experimentally determined stable and unstable regions of the stress-strain curves of the agglomerates are discussed.