Sieving is a process of separating particles of different sizes using a sieve, which is a device with small holes or openings. The technique is used to separate wanted elements from unwanted material or to control the particle size distribution of a sample. Depending on the types of particles to be separated, sieves with different types of holes are used. For example, a sieve used for sifting flour has very small holes, while sieves used to separate stones from sand have larger holes.
Sieving is commonly used in various fields such as chemistry, agriculture, and construction. In flour mills, sieving is used to extract impurities such as husks from wheat. In construction sites, sieving is used to remove pebbles and stones from sand. Sieving is also used in laboratories to separate particles of insoluble or undissolved material from a liquid.
The process of sieving involves exposing the material to mechanical forces of vertical and lateral movement. Coarse particles are separated or broken up by grinding against one another and the screen openings. Sieving electrophoresis (SE) is a technique that involves the addition of a sieving medium to the background electrolyte, and the separation is based on differences in size and shape.
In summary, sieving is a simple and effective technique for separating particles of different sizes. It is used in various fields such as chemistry, agriculture, and construction to extract impurities or to control the particle size distribution of a sample.
