Particle Size and Shape Descriptors

Particles can be described using several size and shape descriptors. In the past these descriptors were obtained manually, which limited their use to research studies. Advances in Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA) and computationalComputational geometryGeometry methods can provide size and shape descriptors for thousands to millions of particles in a shortShort time. The availability of size and shape parameters for large numbers of sand particle promises to increase their use in routine soil granulometryGranulometry analyses. A summary of commonly used size and shape descriptors is presented in this chapter. Both 2D and 3D parameters are included, with 6 size and 9 shape descriptors investigated. CorrelationCorrelation between various parameters is explored. The work demonstrates that shape parameters can be reduced to 4 independent parameters that describe particle morphologyMorphology at 4 different scalesScale. SimilarlySimilarity size parameters can also be merged into four independent groups. Finally, use of roundnessRoundness and sphericitySphericity descriptors for determining particle morphologyMorphology is compared.