Monte carlo simulation of agglomeration and grinding

We present a new Monte Carlo (MC) method to simulate particles undergoing simultaneous agglomeration and break up. Conventional MC methods applied to agglomeration and fragmentation fail when the number of particles in the simulation becomes too small (agglomeration) or too large (fragmentation). These simulations must be terminated when a predetermined number of particles is reached. We developed an MC method that utilizes a constant number of particles, and will show that it can be successfully used to simulate agglomeration, grinding, and generally any other process that involves generation and depletion of particles. Simulations by this method may proceed essentially indefinitely with minimal effect on the accuracy of the calculation. Among the advantages of this method are the ease of implementation and the ability to perform long simulations even on personal computers. We demonstrate the method by discussing examples of agglomeration and grinding of powders.