An active angularity factor for the characterization of abrasive particles

An image processing technique is presented which automatically selects and characterizes only those protrusions most likely to be active in the process of abrasion. The image data are not analyzed directly. Information concerning angularity is extracted from the parametric transformation of the binarized edge map. The method offers: an analytical definition of a corner and its apex; a quantitative estimate of angularity; robustness in the presence of missing boundary points; and, the potential to run automatically. The theory supporting the methodology is outlined and illustrated using simulated examples. The results of using the technique to process real image data are also presented.