Customer Reviews

Sands, Powders, and Grains: An Introduction to the Physics of Granular Materials (Partially Ordered Systems)

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It is interesting that even though the behavior of granular materials (sands, powders, grains) have been studied for more than 2000 years, only recently have technologists addressed the question of determining the fundamental characteristics of granular materials behavior. Two books on the physics of granular materials have been issued by Springer-Verlag in the last year or so. I have reviewed the Ristow book. And now I consider the Duran book.

Ristow is a leading researcher in Germany. Duran is from the French school of powder technology. The two books are at once overlapping and independent. Unlike Ristow's straightforward technical approach to the subject, Duran's approach is more tutorial. And this agrees with Duran's objective as cited in the Foreward. Both authors choose to cover the same ground, and both approach the two major areas, granular behavior of piles and granular behavior in rotating systems, in essentially the same way. I find Duran's approach frustrating, however. I want him to simply "cut to the chase," to "get on with the story." Having said this, I think that Duran provides an easier-to-understand arithmetic approach to granular materials behavior. Surprisingly, this is satisfying ONLY when one rereads the material! Both Ristow and Duran give extensive references. The Duran translation is excellent and the writing and equation explanation is clean. I guess my only fault with Duran is that he does not give as thorough an approach to modeling as Ristow. My library contains both Ristow and Duran.

This is the best book around on the general physics of granular systems. A solid addition to the shelf.