Laboratory mortars and pestles: how can samples be manually ground and homogenised?

Essential on the lab bench, mortars and pestles provide grinding, trituration and homogenisation of solids and pastes prior to dissolution, extraction or analysis. Tablets to be reduced to powder, pigments to blend, tissues snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen: the mechanical route remains simple, robust and cost-effective. Suitable materials (porcelain, agate, PTFE, stainless steel…), capacity, surface roughness and a pouring spout guide the choice, with a key objective: minimising contamination while making cleaning and sterilisation easy.

What are the different types of laboratory mortars and pestles?

Depending on your needs, you will find at Dutscher the mortar and pestle duo, the mortar only as a replacement, or the pestle only to suit your ergonomic preference or a specific material. The principle is the same: a combined action of pressure and friction to reduce particle size and homogenise mixtures. Material choice is critical. Porcelain (unglazed interior) provides good grip for general grinding/trituration. Agate, very hard and smooth, greatly minimises wear and contamination — ideal in analytical chemistry. PTFE is highly chemically inert and easy to clean, perfect with corrosive reagents though less abrasive. Stainless steel stands out for robustness, especially in cryogenic use with liquid nitrogen, at the expense of a risk of metallic traces. Other technical ceramics (alumina, zirconia) combine hardness and cleanliness for hard powders.

Selection criteria: nature of the sample (hardness, sensitivity), need for autoclaving or decontamination, bowl capacity and profile, presence of a pouring spout, stability (non-slip base), chemical compatibility (take care with fluorinated media on silica-based materials). See the comparison table below for a quick overview.

Type / Material	Key properties	Applications
Porcelain	Rough surface, good abrasive action	General trituration, tablets, routine powders
Agate	Very hard, minimal wear/contamination	Trace analysis, ICP-OES, fine pigments, minerals
PTFE	Chemical inertness, low abrasion	Corrosive reagents, sensitive samples
Stainless steel	High robustness, cryogenic use	Tissues in liquid nitrogen, hard/abrasive batches

Which fields use a mortar and pestle?

• Life sciences: pre-milling of tissues/organs in liquid nitrogen under cryogenic conditions to preserve proteins/RNA prior to extraction.
• Pharmaceutics/galenics: trituration of tablets, powders and excipients; preparation of ointments (smooth glass/porcelain mortars).
• Food and feed: homogenisation of spices, seeds, flours and samples for physico-chemical analyses.
• Environment/geosciences: sample preparation of soils, sediments and minerals for spectrometric analysis.
• Chemistry/cosmetics: mixing of pigments, fillers and catalysts; gentle mechanochemical activation of solids.
• Quality control/R&D: rapid size reduction prior to dissolution, extraction or particle size analysis.

The different types of laboratory mortars and pestles available

Frequently asked questions about laboratory mortars

Which material should I choose to minimise contamination?
Agate and technical ceramics generate very little wear. PTFE prevents chemical interactions. Avoid stainless steel if trace metals are critical.

Are mortars autoclavable?
Porcelain and many ceramics can be autoclaved. PTFE tolerates moderate cycles. Check the model’s instructions; avoid thermal shock.

Can I use liquid nitrogen?
Yes, with robust mortars (often stainless steel), pre-chilled. Wear PPE, avoid thermal shock on agate/glass, work in a well-ventilated area.

How to size the capacity?
Choose a bowl 2–3× the sample volume for good rolling action of the pestle. High walls reduce losses; a pouring spout makes decanting easier.

Recommended care and cleaning?
Rinse immediately, use a mild detergent, and brush appropriately. No abrasives on agate. Dedicate by matrix to avoid cross-contamination.

Mortar only or pestle only—when to buy them?
To replace a broken part, match the material to the protocol, or keep multiple pestles dedicated to different matrices.

Porcelain or glass for ointments?
Smooth glass suits low-abrasive semi-solid preparations; matte porcelain improves trituration/levigation of incorporated powders.