SizeReductions
Size reductions refers to processes that reduce the size of solids, typically particles or chunks, to produce finer materials or to enable downstream processing. The term is used across industries such as mining, pharmaceuticals, food, and materials science, and it encompasses a range of equipment and techniques designed to break, grind, or cut materials to the desired particle size and distribution.
Common methods include crushing, which uses compressive forces to reduce large pieces to smaller ones; grinding
The effectiveness of size reduction is usually described by particle size distribution, mean diameter, and metrics
Applications are diverse: improving drug dissolution and bioavailability in pharmaceuticals; enabling better mixing, compaction, or filtration
Related concepts include comminution, particle size distribution, and surface area analysis.