A unified approach to predict the tendency for dispersion of particle agglomerates, inclusive of a wide range of particle and agglomerate properties, is presented. This framework is applied to analyze the behavior of three prototypical materials (fumed silica, calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide) across a range of agglomerate packing densities. Simulations of dispersion phenomena, which employ our previously developed solution for liquid-bridge interactions for wet interparticle contacts and the Rumpf model for the tensile strength of the dry and wet portions of the agglomerate, have been performed. Various mechanisms of dispersion are predicted for various conditions of agglomerate density and extent of fluid infiltration. These range from an adhesive mechanism at the wet-dry interface for sparse materials to a cohesive mechanism by erosion as agglomerate density increases. The results correspond well with the results of earlier experimental studies involving the same materials. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.