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In previous years, research into the use of granular media as crash absorbers in a ship double hull has led to an increased interest in further optimisation to improve their energy absorption. One way is to add a coating layer on the outside surface of these particles. This work provides an introduction to the numerical modelling of coated particles to simulate their crushing behaviour. Depending upon the type of coating material, the compressive behaviour differs. Therefore, a sound methodology needs to be developed. For that purpose, the discrete element method in combination with the bonded particle method was utilised using the open‐source code MUSEN. The bonded particle method helps to simulate the crushing behaviour of coated particles. However, for this high‐fidelity model, the number of parameters needs to be reduced and afterwards optimised. A sensitivity analysis is performed for that objective followed by optimisation using particle swarm algorithm. The results illustrate a good approximation of the experimental force‐displacement curve by the optimised model on a uniaxial single particle compression test.

When designing crash absorber particles for application as a filling material in the double-hull of ships, the main goal is to achieve an optimal mechanical performance, in combination with a low-density particle structure, while fulfilling several additional requirements regarding, for example, non-toxic and hydrophobic behavior. In this study, a fluidized bed was used to coat Poraver® glass particles with Candelilla wax and silicone to attain these specifications. A uniform coating was achieved with wax, but the process turned out to be far more challenging when using silicone. To evaluate the suitability of coated particles as a granular filling material, and to compare their performances with that of untreated Poraver® particles, several mechanical tests, as well as structural investigations, were conducted. While no notable improvement in mechanical behavior was observed on the single-particle level, bulk tests showed promising results regarding compressibility and abrasion resistance of coated particles compared to untreated ones., When designing crash absorber particles for application as a filling material in the double-hull of ships, the main goal is to achieve an optimal mechanical performance, in combination with a low-density particle structure, while fulfilling several additional requirements regarding, for example, non-toxic and hydrophobic behavior. In this study, a fluidized bed was used to coat Poraver® glass particles with Candelilla wax and silicone to attain these specifications. A uniform coating was achieved with wax, but the process turned out to be far more challenging when using silicone. To evaluate the suitability of coated particles as a granular filling material, and to compare their performances with that of untreated Poraver® particles, several mechanical tests, as well as structural investigations, were conducted. While no notable improvement in mechanical behavior was observed on the single-particle level, bulk tests showed promising results regarding compressibility and abrasion resistance of coated particles compared to untreated ones.