Flow of asymmetric elongated particles

Shear induced orientational ordering of asymmetric elongated particles is investigated experimentally. Corn grains and pegs with one end sharpened are studied using x-ray computed tomography during quasistatic shearing and silo discharge. We show that asymmetries can be detected in the orientational distributions of the particles, which are related to the modulated rotation of the particles during shear flow. Namely, when the particles rotate in a plane that is not horizontal, they spend more time with the sharper (lighter) end pointing up, which can be explained using energetic arguments. We quantify the resulting asymmetry of the orientational distribution in a split bottom Couette cell and in a silo discharge process.