Particle pressure in a sheared suspension: a bridge from osmosis to granular dilatancy.

The normal stress exerted by particles in a sheared suspension is measured by analogy with a method used to measure osmotic pressure in solutions. Particles in a liquid are confined by a fine screen to a gap between two vertical concentric cylinders, the inner of which rotates. Pressure in the liquid is sensed either by a manometer or by a pressure transducer across the screen.