A study of the area porosity profiles in a bed of equal-diameter spheres confined by a plane

Profiles have been measured of area porosity in random beds of equal-diameter spheres confined by a plane surface. The results have been interpreted in terms of a proposed stratified model of the random bed. The assumptions made in the formulation of the model seem to be justified in view of the generality of results obtained with spheres of different diameter and the good agreement of the experimental and predicted porosity profiles.The model has been tested also for describing porosity oscillations near the top of beds compressed by a plane surface and beds prepared by charging the spheres by portions while compressing simultaneously each portion added.