PHARMACUTICAL UNIT OPEARTION:

SIZE SEPARATION

PRAVIN B. AWATE ( M.PHARM, PHARMACEUTICS)

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
RDCOP, BHOR
 SIZE SEPARATION

Content…
 Objectives
Applications & mechanism of size separation
 Official standards of powders, sieves
 Size separation Principles, construction, working, uses, merits
and demerits of …

1. Sieve shaker
2. cyclone separator
3. Air separator
4. Bag filter &
5. elutriation tank.
 SIZE SEPARATION
Size separation is a unit operation that involves the separation of
a mixture of various sizes of particles into two or more portions by
means of screening surfaces.
Size separation is also known as sieving, sifting. classifying or
screening. This technique is based on physical differences between
the particles such as size, shape and density.
Screening is a method of separating particles according to size
alone. Particles can be separated into individual sizes using sieves.
The final portion consists of a more uniform size. The material that
remains on the given screening surface is known as oversize or plus
material. The material passing through the screening surface is
known as undersize or minus material.
 Objectives
It is desirable to develop methods and techniques to characterize
particles of irregular size and shape, and this is the main objective of
particle size separation.
1. Grading_ Size separation is useful in grading powders or granules.
Any solid materials after size reduction never give particles of the
same size but contain particles of varying sizes. The size-reduced
particles are then passed through sieves with the objective to get
fractions of narrow size range.
2. To control size variations in the materials. During tablet
granulation the granules should be within narrow size range,
otherwise, weight variation will take place during tablet punching.
 Objectives

3. To classify materials in to different sizes for the desired

purpose.
4. To enhance performance (topical powders), efficacy (powders
for inhalation) and stability of dosage forms (suspensions).
5. To judge uniformity in a mixing materials.
6. To avoid variations in the bulk properties of materials.
7. To specify the quality parameter of a intermediate and
finished dosage forms.
8. To optimize the process conditions such as agitation, time of
screening, feed rate etc.
 Pharmaceutical Applications/ Importance of Separation

Particle size separation is important in studying particle behaviour in a medium

as in many analytical sciences and industrial applications. Size separation has
following major applications in pharmacy:

1. Size separation has significance in formulating uniform dosage forms with

respect to drug content.
2. It can be used to obtain granules of required size.
3. It helps to ensure good flowability.
4. It can also be useful in separating undesirable size solids from desired
ones.
5. It has applications in determination of particle size and their distribution
in the given samples.
6. It can also be used to investigate efficiency and validate size reduction
equipments.
7. It is used to obtain monosized powders/particles which undergo least size
segregation.
 Mechanism of Size Separation

Size separation is useful since particles are sorted into categories solely on the basis
of size, independently of other properties such as density, surface, etc.
It can be used to classify dry or wet powders and generates narrowly classified
fractions. While doing this mechanical sieving equipments used works on the principle of
agitation, brushing and centrifugal force.
 Mechanism of Size Separation

Size separation is useful since particles are sorted into categories solely on the basis of
size, independently of other properties such as density, surface, etc.
It can be used to classify dry or wet powders and generates narrowly classified
fractions. While doing this mechanical sieving equipments used works on the principle of
agitation, brushing and centrifugal force.

AGITATION METHOD...

A single sieve or sieves in a set may be agitated in different ways.

(i) Oscillation: In this case the sieve is mounted in inclined frame or rack that
oscillates back and forth. This is most common and simple mechanism in which material
rolls on the surface of sieve and sometimes forms a ball. This movement is achieved by
ordinary eccentric movement of the rotating motor shaft.
(ii) Vibration: Sieves in this mechanism are mechanically or electrically vibrated at
high speed allowing powder material to pass through. Vibration are either sinusoidal or
gyratory. Sinusoidal vibration occurs at an angled plane relative to the horizontal. The
vibration in a wave pattern are determined by frequency and amplitude. This motion can
causes sieves to move-up and down or left to right.
(iii) Gyration: The sieves are kept on rubber mounting which is attached to rotary
eccentric flywheel. This produces a movement of desired amplitude with required
intensity to induce motion in the material. Rotary motion allows particles to spin and
pass through the meshes. Gyratory vibration occurs at near level plane at low angles in a
reciprocating side-to-side motion.
 Mechanism of Size Separation

2 BRUSHING METHOD...
Material to be processed for size separation using sieving is passed through sieves by
use of brushes in different directions. For motion in circular sieves brush is rotated at
centre of sieve while in horizontal cylindrical sieves it rotates around its longitudinal
axis. Brush helps to keep the meshes clean. This method is suitable for wet, greasy and
sticky materials.
3 CENTRIFUGAL METHOD...
In this method vertical cylindrical type mechanical sieve is used. It consists of high
speed rotor inside the cylinder that throws particles on the sieve by centrifugal force.
A current of air generated due to movement of rotor causes particle separation. To aid
particle separation further an air jet can be fixed in the cylinder. Other mechanisms of
particle separation are gravitational force, density and electrostatic force. Gravity is a
physical interaction in the sense that when the material is thrown from the sieve causes
it to fall to a lower level. Gravity also pulls the particles through the sieve media. The
density of the material relates to material stratification. The classification in this case
is based upon weight of material. Electrostatic force can be applied to sieve when
particles are extremely dry or wet that help to sieving.
 OFFICIAL STANDARDS FOR POWDER SIZE

Standards for powders used in pharmaceuticals are reported in the British

Pharmacopoeia (B.P.) which states that “the degree of coarseness or fineness
of a powder is differentiated and expressed by the size of the mesh of the
sieve through which the powder is able to pass”.
The B.P. specifies five grades of powder and the number of the sieve through
which all the particles must pass, are as follows...
STANDARDS FOR POWDERS GIVEN B.P.
Grade of powder Sieve number through which all particles must pass
Coarse 10
Moderately Coarse 22
Moderately fine 44
Fine 85
Very Fine 120
The B.P. specifies a use of smaller size of sieve for the coarser powders but states
that not more than 40 % shall pass through. The relevant grades of powder and sieve
number are discussed in the below table...
Thus, the coarse powder is that wherein all the particles which pass through a No. 10
sieve and not more than 40 % through a No. 44 sieve. This is usually referred as a
10/44 powder.
The B.P. states that when a powder is described by a number, all particles must pass
through the specified sieve and when a vegetable drug is being ground and sifted, none
must be rejected. This classification is must if the character of a vegetable drug is
compared with a chemical substance
STANDARDS FOR POWDERS GIVEN B.P.
Grade of Sieve number through Sieve number through
powder which all particles which not more than 40 %
must pass of particles pass
Coarse 10 40
Moderately 22 60
Coarse
Moderately fine 44 85
Fine 85 Not specified
Very Fine 120 Not specified
The chemical materials are generally homogeneous. If a certain quantity of a powder
is required, an excess may be ground so as to get a sufficient amount of the desired
size range by sieving, and the oversize particles may be discarded. As we know
vegetable drugs consists of a variety of tissues of different degrees of hardness that
softer tissues are ground first and oversize mass is obtained by sifting contain a
higher proportion of the harder tissues.
 In many cases, constituents are not distributed uniformly through vegetable
tissues. For example, digitalis contains glycosides concentrated in the mid-rib and
veins of the plant. Hence, if tailings are discarded while grinding and sifting the drug,
it is likely that a high proportion of the active constituents may be lost.
The British Pharmaceutical Codex has given a further grade of powder known as
ultrafine powder. For these powders it is required that the maximum dimension of at
least 90 % of the particles must be not greater than 5 μm and none must be greater
than 50 μm. Determination of particle size for this grade is carried out by a
microscopic method.
 SIEVES
A sieve, also called sifter, is a device for separating desired elements from

unwanted material or for characterizing the particle size distribution of a

sample. This is a device typically made-up of using a woven sieve such as a
mesh or net or metal. The word "sift" is derived from "sieve".
A sieve has very small holes. The sieving process is comparatively
inexpensive, simple in concept and easy to use. Coarse particles are separated
or broken-up by grinding against one-another and sieve openings.
Sieves are the most commonly used devices for particle size analysis.
Depending upon the types of particles to be separated sieves with different
types of holes are used.
Sieving plays an important role in pharmaceutical and food industries where
they (often vibrating) are used to prevent the contamination of the product
by foreign bodies. The design of the industrial sieve is of primary importance.
Each sieve has a specific number that denotes the number of meshes in a
length of 2.54 cm (≈1 inch).
 Construction of Sieves
Based upon application specially constructed sieves are used. Various types
of sieves includes electroformed sieves, perforated plate sieves, sonic
sifters, air jet sieves, wet wash sieves etc.

 Generally pharmaceutical sieves are made up of stainless steel, brass,

bronze etc. and are not coated with any material to avoid wear and tear as
well as contamination in the products.

Sieves should be non-reactive and resistant to corrosion. The most

common choice of material for sieves is iron because it is cheap. Iron has
limitation for its use when there is possibility of corrosion and contamination.
This can be avoided by coating iron surfaces with galvanizing agent.
Stainless steel, brass and phosphorus bronze due to their corrosion
resistant, good strength and non-contaminating qualities are preferred as
an alternative to iron. Even non-metals such as nylon and terylene are used if
contamination is to be avoided.

Sieves with different type of holes viz. size and shapes made in plates as
perforations can be used as separating devices. Sieves made-up of woven
cloth are used if fine powders are to be separated. This cloth can be made of
cotton, nylon or silk.