Percolation current in a periodic segregation of a binary granular mixture

A periodic segregation in a binary granular mixture of alumina and copper spheres has been found when the mixture is subjected to vertical vibrations, in which a stable percolation process has been experimentally studied. Measurements reveal that the percolation time of alumina particles through a permeable layer of copper particles increases linearly as the number of alumina particles increases. While the percolation current of alumina particles proves to be independent of the number of alumina particles, it shows a monotonically decreasing relationship with the number of copper particles in the mixture. Finally, we briefly discuss possible candidates to affect the percolation current. © 2011 American Physical Society.