Size effects in powder compaction

It is well known that great difficulties are encountered in the cold compaction of ultrafine powders. Such difficulties have been qualitatively attributed to several origins (e.g., increasing relative contribution of oxidized layers to particle resistance as particle size decreases). The main densification stage during compaction is governed hv plastic deformation at interparticle contacts under pressure. On account of the strength enhancement of plastic resistance in presence of plastic strain gradients (physically resolved by "geometrically necessary dislocations") a contribution to the size effect on powder compaction efficiency is here predicted. Some quantitative experimental data available are in good agreement with this explanation.