Preface

Abstract

The Brazilian Congress on Particulate Systems (ENEMP) constitutes a tradition in the area with a twenty-nine year history. This event has been held annuallly since 1973 and has become an important opportunity for interection between resarchers in the correlated areas. In addition this congress offers students at all levels fertile contact with the scientific community. The importance of the interaction between researchers and research groups propitiated by the Congress is visible, not only in the increased number of publications, but also in the broadening of the research topics covered in the presentations throughout the years.Professionals who participate in this event come from a variety of research areas, such as chemical, food, mechanical, petroleum, agricultural and metallurgical engineering as well as physics, chemistry and mathematics.These professionals are mainly researchers from the principal Brazilian universities and other Latin American universities as well as research centers and industries throughout the country.The 30th meeting of ENEMP was held in São Carlos on October 20-23, 2002. Beginning with this 30th ENEMP the Congress, which had been annual, will now meet once every two years, with the next scheduled to take place