  The packing behavior of powders is significantly influenced by various types
of inter-particle attractive forces, including adhesion and non-bonded van der
Waals forces [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Alongside particle size and shape
distributions, the inter-particle interactions, in particular frictional and
adhesive forces, play a crucial role in determining the flow behavior and
consequently the packing density of the powder layer. The impact of various
types of attractive forces on the packing density of powders with different
materials and particle size distributions remains largely unexplored and
requires further investigation. Accurately comprehending these effects through
experiments while considering specific particle size distributions and material
properties poses significant challenges. To address these challenges, we employ
Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations to characterize the packing behavior
of fine powders. We can demonstrate quantitative agreement with experimental
results by incorporating the appropriate particle size distribution and using
an adequate model of attractive particle interactions. Furthermore, our
findings indicate that both adhesion, which is modeled using the
Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) model [7], and van der Waals interactions are
crucial factors that must be taken into account in DEM simulations.
