Trituration
Encyclopedia
Trituration is the name of several different methods of processing materials. Trituration is also the name of the process for reducing the particle size of a substance by grinding, as by grinding of powders in a mortar
Mortar and pestle
A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances . The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone...

 with a pestle. Trituration additionally refers to the production of a homogeneous material through mixing. For example, dental amalgam is formed by combining particles of an alloy with mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...

.

Overview

In organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...

, trituration is a process used to purify crude chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

s containing soluble impurities. A solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

is chosen in which the desired product is insoluble and the undesired by-products are very soluble (or the other way around). The crude material is washed with the solvent and filtered away, leaving the purified product in solid form and any impurities in solution.

In Pharmacology, trituration can also refer to the process of grinding one compound into another to dilute one of the ingredients, add volume for processing and handling, or to mask undesirable qualities. For example, acetylsalicylic acid is a common active used for many pharmacological reasons ranging from pain relief to blood thinning. It is effective at about 500 milligrams in the body. Since 500 mg is too small to handle, market or consume, the ASA is triturated with a nonactive bioavailable carrier solid before a pill is made.
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