<p>The flow characteristics of cohesive and non-cohesive particles in the double barrel with differential velocity (DBDV) were studied. The viscosity of particles was represented by a contact model. The flow process of particles was simulated by the discrete element method. A representation method for mixing characteristics was proposed. The velocity distribution of particles, spatial distribution of polydisperse particles, and mixing characteristics caused by particle flow were analyzed. The flow characteristics of cohesive and non-cohesive particles were compared. The results show that the velocity of cohesive particles is higher than that of non-cohesive particles. The non-cohesive particles at the bottom of the drum are prone to form a dead zone of motion. The sensitivity of the velocity of cohesive particles to particle size is lower than that of non- cohesive particles. Compared with non-cohesive particles, the mixing uniformity of cohesive small-sized particles is improved by 13.51%. The mixing time increased by 35.64%. The mixing performance of cohesive particles is always better than that of non-cohesive particles. And the particle mixing is not suitable for high-speed and low inclination conditions.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>