Particle Size Distribution In Clay Bodies

[Ben]

I'm trying to do some research on particle size distribution in clay bodies.

What do you call it when the range of particle sizes and amounts of each is distributed so that there is a minimum of open space.

An example I heard once was a room full of basketballs, the spaces between filled with tennis balls, the spaces between filled with ping pong balls, the spaces between filled with marbles, the spaces between filled with bb s.

 

Is there a term for that?

 

Is this effect useful in clay bodies? Do we want the particles distributed so that there is a minimum of free space between?

If so, how do we go about acheiving it? What is the ratio of particles from one size to the next?

 

Thanks,

Ben