This report, prepared by the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Chile, compares the triturability of two grape pomace-derived materials: dehydrated raw pomace and a vitreous biomaterial produced via Powder House’s Vitreous Transformation Process applied to grape pomace from Biograpes SpA. Using a standardized grinding protocol in a vibratory mill with a controlled metal load, the study assessed particle size reduction performance under identical energy input for both matrices. The results revealed a markedly different behavior: the vitreous biomaterial achieved a 20-fold greater size reduction than raw pomace under the same grinding conditions and time frame. This difference translates into a corresponding 20-fold increase in energy efficiency, positioning the vitreous biomaterial as a significantly more viable precursor for industrial ultrafine powder production. The study concludes that the Vitreous Transformation Process not only enables large-scale processing but also dramatically enhances the conversion of agro-industrial waste into high-value functional ingredients, thanks to the material’s greater structural fragility and rapid mechanical collapse.
