The GrainGeo module creates digital 3D models of ceramics, sintered materials, grain packings or powders. The starting point for modelling are user-defined parameter such as known grain size distribution, pore size distribution and grain shapes. The detailed digital 3D microstructure model allows a close visual analysis otherwise only possible from a µCT-scan.

By changing the parameters underlying the model, new material structures are designed and their material properties are computed. New designs and existing products are compared and performance is optimized.

Various states of the sintering process are modeled using morphological operations and starting from random distributions, stock piles, and packings of grains with varying shapes and shape distributions.

The resulting structure models range from powders and sintered materials, with open and closed porosity, to sintered composites without porosity. The granular objects are spheres, ellipsoids, general polyhedra with randomly distributed parameters and even fibers.

Sphere packings with complex size distributions and high packing densities, very close to the theoretical limit, are modelled with GrainGeo, and binder might be added to these structure models.

• Modelling of packed beds of spheres (and other objects).
• Modelling of sintered ceramics.
• Modelling of catalyst layer and microporous layer in PEM fuel cells.
• Modelling of lithium ion cathodes and other battery materials.
• Modelling of rocks like sand-stone.
• Modelling of sphere packings with very high packing density.

• The GeoDict Base package is needed for basic functionality.
• The ExportGeo module can be used to export the generated structures as 3D image (*.raw), as surface triangulation (*.stl) for CAD-programs, or as direct simulation in Fluent / Abaqus.
• Selected material properties computed using other GeoDict modules for the 3D structure models of porous ceramics, granular beds or other 3D structures created with GrainGeo are: