Electrically induced tunable cohesion in granular systems

Experimental observations of confined granular materials in the presence of an electric field that induces cohesive forces are reported. The angle of repose is found to increase with the cohesive force. A theoretical model for the stability of a granular heap, including the effect of the sidewalls and that of cohesion, is proposed. A good agreement between this model and the experimental results is found. The steady-state flow angle is practically unaffected by the electric field except at high field strengths and low flow rates.