Industrial Pharmacy 
                        
           Particle-Size Reduction 
                        
                         
            Dr. Mohammad Bayan 
      Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan 
      Size reduction is the operation carried out for 
        reducing the size of bigger particles into 
        smaller one of desired size and shape with the 
        help of external forces.  
         
      COMMINUTION is another term used for 
        size reduction. 
        
 Dr. Mohammad Bayan                                        2 
       Objectives of size reduction: 
           
         To aid efficient processing of solid particles by facilitating 
          powder mixing. 
           
         The production of suspensions.  
           
         Exposing cells prior to extraction. 
           
         Reducing the bulk volume of a material to improve 
          transportation efficiency. 
           
         Increase the surface area because, in most reactions 
          involving solid particles, the rate of reactions is directly 
          proportional to the area of contact with a second phase. 
           
          
 Dr. Mohammad Bayan                                                        3 
       Advantages of size reduction: 
           
         Content uniformity  
           
         Uniform flow  
           
         Effective drying 
        
         Increases surface area or viscosity  
           
         Uniform mixing and drying  
           
         Improve rate of absorption . Smaller the particles greater is 
          absorption.  
           
         Improve dissolution rate. 
          
 Dr. Mohammad Bayan                                                          4