Trituration is defined as which of the following?

• A. Continued rubbing of a solid in a mortar with a pestle to reduce the size of the particles
• B. Dissolving the solid completely in a solvent
• C. Heating to aid dissolution
• D. Grinding in air without a mortar

Answer: (A)

Trituration is about mechanically reducing the size of a solid by grinding it with a mortar and pestle. This process relies on friction to break the particles into smaller pieces, and it can be done dry or with a small amount of solvent to help the grinding. The goal is to produce a finer, more uniform powder that can blend well with other powders or improve subsequent steps like dissolution. Dissolving a solid in a solvent, heating to aid dissolution, or grinding without a mortar aren’t trituration. Related techniques include levigation (using a liquid to form a smooth paste) and pulverization by intervention (using a solvent to facilitate size reduction, then removing the solvent).