Predicting random close packing of binary hard-disk mixtures via third-virial-based parameters
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We propose a simple and accurate approach to estimate the random close packing (RCP) fraction of binary hard-disk mixtures. By introducing a parameter based on the mixture's reduced third virial coefficient-which effectively captures three-body correlations and excluded-area constraints-we show that the RCP fraction depends nearly linearly on this parameter, leading to a near-universal collapse of simulation data over a wide range of size ratios and compositions. Comparisons with previous models by Brouwers and Zaccone indicate that the present approach provides more accurate and consistent predictions. The method can be naturally extended to polydisperse mixtures with continuous size distributions and is structurally consistent with the surplus equation-of-state formulation, offering a compact framework for understanding the near universality of RCP in hard-disk systems.
Source: The Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI: 10.1063/5.0328013
Authors: Andrés Santos, Mariano López de Haro
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G103507813, G1105844351, G1175115578, G1455481585, G1938719665, G2019505627, G2262748287, G2875277374, G2890270296, G300979063, G3268032660, G3480869486, G3999133987, G410571670, G425668148, G4278938174, G451917667, G491712853, G5080475149, G5209569390, G5539308778, G5635532810, G586857820, G5967599077, G7084143925, G717256432, G7397253025, G7765948776, G7805626310, G7863371703, G8497050386, G986506960
OpenAlex ID: W7140119996