An unexplored valley of binary packing: The loose jamming state

We present a theoretical prediction on random close packing factor ϕ_RCP^b of binary granular packings based on the hard-sphere fluid theory. An unexplored regime is unravelled, where the packing fraction ϕ_RCP^b is smaller than that of the mono-sized one ϕ_RCP^m, i.e., the so-called loose jamming state. This is against our common perception that binary packings should always reach a denser packing than mono-sized packings at the jamming state. Numerical evidence further supports this prediction and confirms the regime location in the size ratio and mole fraction (R_r-X_s) space, where the size ratio R_r is close to 1, and the mole fraction of the smaller sphere X_s close to 0. This extreme regime remains unreported in existing literature, yet significant for our fundamental understanding of binary packing systems.

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