Shear-driven segregation of dry granular materials with different friction coefficients

We report the first experimental demonstration of bulk segregation in a shear-driven dry granular mixture, where the particles only differ in their surface friction coefficients. We found that the smoother particles tend to sink to the bottom of the shear zone, while rough particles migrate to the top of the sample. This phenomenon is similar to the well known kinetic sieving in particle mixtures with size heterogeneity. In the present case the smooth particles have a higher probability to penetrate into voids created by the shearing than the rough ones. Discrete element simulations were carried out and reproduced the experimentally observed segregation patterns. Moreover, simulations performed in the absence of gravity revealed that rough particles tend to remain in the shear zone, while the smooth particles are being expelled from it. We propose a mechanism in which the smooth particles are driven towards regions of lower shear rate.