Brittle-ductile transitions in sucrose and the influence of lateral stresses during compaction

Sucrose, in a range of particle sizes, has been compacted to investigate both the effect of brittle-ductile transition and the effect of lateral stresses on the deformation stress as measured using Heckel plots. All particles with a diameter greater than 30 microm exhibited cracking in line with both theoretical predictions and literature data from hammer and ball milling. In addition, crack lengths in compressed particles examined microscopically were very similar to those predicted from the deformation stress, confirming the applicability of the model.