Heuristics for Packing Semifluids

Physical properties of materials are seldom studied in the context of packing problems. In this work we study the behavior of semifluids: materials with particular characteristics, that share properties both with solids and with fluids. We describe the importance of some specific semifluids in an industrial context, and propose methods for tackling the problem of packing them, taking into account several practical requirements and physical constraints. Although the focus of this paper is on the computation of practical solutions, it also uncovers interesting mathematical properties of this problem, which differentiate it from other packing problems.