This study, conducted by the Department of Physics at the University of Santiago, Chile, evaluated the mechanical behavior of raw grape pomace and a vitreous biomaterial—produced through Powder House’s Vitreous Transformation Process applied to grape pomace from Biograpes SpA—using Bulk Crush Strength (BCS) compression tests. The results reveal substantial differences between the two materials: the vitreous biomaterial exhibited brittle behavior with clearly defined fracture events, while raw pomace showed a more plastic response without structural breakage. The tests indicate that the vitreous biomaterial possesses higher initial compressibility due to its greater density and rigidity, though it also exhibits force fluctuations associated with brittle fragmentation. At equal volume, the force required to compress the vitreous biomaterial was significantly higher than that for raw pomace. These findings suggest that during milling, the vitreous biomaterial is more “grindable” due to its fragile architecture, enabling easier size reduction with lower energy input compared to raw pomace. The study confirms that the Vitreous Transformation Process not only concentrates mass but also alters mechanical behavior in ways that favor downstream ultrafine particle reduction.
