Patent ID: 8635050

Claim:
A method for finding a packing rate of powder particles, comprising: finding a size distribution f(r) of the powder particles, and calculating, on a computer, a packing rate p of the powder particles based on the size distribution f(r) according to the following formula (a) p = ∑ i ⁢ ∑ j ⁢ r i 2 ⁢ r j 3 ⁢ f ⁡ ( r i ⁢ ) ⁢ f ⁡ ( r j ⁢ ) 〈 r 2 〉 ⁢ 〈 r 3 〉 ⁢ p ji ⁡ ( max ) ( a ) where f(r i ): a frequency of i-particles having a radius of r i contained in the powder particles, f(r j ): a frequency of j-particles having a radius of r i contained in the powder particles, r i : the radius of the i-particles contained in the powder particles, r j : the radius of the j-particles contained in the powder particles, 〈 r 2 〉 ⁢ : ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i ⁢ r i 2 ⁢ f ⁡ ( r i ) 〈 r 3 〉 ⁢ : ⁢ ⁢ ∑ i ⁢ r i 3 ⁢ f ⁡ ( r i ) p ji (max): a void fraction in a hypothetical sphere having a radius of r j +r i around a j-particle having a radius of r j when the j-particle has i-particles most closely packed therearound so as to be brought into contact therewith.