This document discusses levigation, which is defined as a process of reducing the particle size of a solid by grinding it in a mortar with a small amount of a non-solvent liquid. The liquid used is called the levigation agent and helps incorporate the solid and produce a smoother paste. On a small scale, levigation is done with a pestle and mortar. Industrially, an edge runner mill is used where the solid is suspended in liquid and particles settle according to weight and size. Levigation is used to prepare ointments, pastes, and suspensions and to obtain fine powders.

2. Presented By:
Khuram Sajjad (92)
Mohsin Ali (102)
M.Sajjad Hussain (112)
Taha Rehman Zahid (163)
Presented To:
Prof.Dr.Zubair Malik Madni

3. Definition:
“The formation of paste by adding the
large amount of water,by reducing the size of
particle into fine size,which is to be obtained is
known as Levigation.”
OR
“Levigation is a process reducing the particle size of
a solid by triturating it in a mortar or spatulating it
on an ointment slab or pad with a small amount of
a liquid or melted base in which the solid is not
soluble.”

4. The liquid used for levigation is called as
‘levigation agent’,The liquid is somewhat
viscous and has low surface tension to improve
ease of wetting the solid.
e.g:MineralOils,Glycerine.
Features of Levigation Agents;
 They act as lubricating agents.
 They incorporate the solid easier and they
usually give smoother preparations.

5.  Triturate the solid by using pestle and mortar
or Edge Runner Mill.
 Add levigating agent as lubricating agent.
 Mix the above compound thoroughly.
 Now,mix untill particle size become uniform
and it appears like a paste.
 In case of EMULSION,this paste gives the
sound of click and creamy white colour.

6. SMALL SCALE:
 On small scale we use
Pestle & Mortar.
 The paste is formed by
addition of non-solvent
like glycerine or mineral
oil to solid substance.
 Size reduction takes
place in pestle and
mortar.

7. Fig:Small Scale Levigation
1.Paste formation
2.Ointment Slab
3.Triturating
4.Spatulating

8. ON INDUSTRIAL SCALE:
 We use a series of tanks called
edge runner mill.
 Solid material which is used
into the tank is suspended in
liquid and flow like a turbid
liquid.
 The turbid liquid is allowed to
flow from series of tanks and
allowed to stand for
sometime. Heaviest particles
are precipitated down and
light fine particles remain in
liquid.
 Particles settle down inTank
according to weight and size.

9.  PURPOSE OF
LEVIGATION:
o We use this process for
fine particles or
powder in order to get
smooth paste by
grinding the solid with
water.
 USES IN
PHARMACY
 It is used to prepare the
ointments and pastes.
 In making suspensions.
 In many
pharmaceutical balms.
 In purification of drugs.
 To get various degrees
of fine powders.

10. “The pharmaceutical process of reducing the
particle size of powders through with a mortar
and pestle to produce fine powders.”
OR
“The simple dilution of a potent drug powder
with a dilutent powder such as lactose which is
an insert substance.”

11.  The minimum weighable quantity of a drug
powder usually taken to be 50mg or 100 mg is
mixed with an inert substance to produce a 1:10
or 1:100 dilution in practice.
 In a 1:10 trituration 10g of trituration contains 1g
of drug.
USE Of Trituration:
It is used in pharmacy as means of preparing
products containing small weights of POTENT
DRUGS,as amounts of less than 100 mg cannot be
weighed accurately.

12. 1. Levigation is wet grinding while trituration is
dry grinding.
2. Triturate is the continual rubbing of a solid in
a mortar with a pestle to reduce particle size
to a degree of fineness. Levigation is the
process of reducing the particle size of a soild
by triturating in a mortar with a small
amount of liquid or melted base