Mortars and Pestles
Tools used to grind and crush substances into fine powders or pastes, Mortars are bowl-shaped containers and pestles are heavy, rod-shaped tools. Commonly sold as sets but also available separately, mortar and pestle sets may include mortars, pestles, adapters, housings, or other items in several materials.
Mortar and pestle implements have been used since ancient times to crush and grind substances. Mortars can be made of hard materials like wood, metal, ceramic, or hard stone such as granite or marble. Pestles are held in the hand and usually have a tapered, club-like shape. A wet or dry substance is placed in the mortar and the pestle is pressed against it and rotated until the material is pulverized.
What Is the Best Material for a Mortar and Pestle?
The implements must be made of materials that are hard enough to crush the substance without wearing away, but they cannot be brittle or break from the pressure of manipulation. The material should also be cohesive to reduce chipping and non-porous to avoid absorbing or trapping substances. Some rough porcelain mortars and pestles can reduce substances to very fine powders, but are brittle and stain more easily. Porcelain mortars can be pre-conditioned by grinding sand in them to produce a rougher surface. Glass mortars and pestles are stain-resistant and suitable for liquids, but are fragile and do not grind as finely as ceramic sets. Metal mortars and pestles are popular for food preparation.
Mortars and pestles are commonly used to grind and mix substances for dilution, to mask negative qualities, or to add volume to facilitate handling. Drugs can also be finely ground when not available in liquid form, and supplements can be processed to for addition to parenteral nutrition.
Bellco Glass, Inc. Flexgrip Chuck For 6mm Pestle Glass & Stirrer Rods
Ideal use for pestle glass and stirrer rods. Used with homogenizer drive. Size: 6mm
Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals Biosciences Pellet pestles Cordless mo1EA
Z359955 will fit the cordless motor product Z359971 only by using the replacement adapter for the motor Z359998 which is purchased separately.
Research Products International Corp Micro-Pestles with 1.5ml Micro-Tubes, Disposable, 100 per Case
These autoclavable/disposable plastic pestles are excellent for re-suspending bacterial cells, precipitates of nucleic acids or proteins and pellets of other materials. Pestle supplied in green color.
Electron Microscopy Sciences Potter-Elvehjem Tissue Grinder, 2 ml, 11 mm x 45 mm Mortor, 203 mm OAL
These grinder are precisely constructed with completely interchangeable parts to allow easier cleaning or replacement of damaged mortars. Ideal for tissue homogenates and other similar applications. The Teflon pestle is for soft tissues such as brain or liver. The stainless steel rod is 0.25" (6.3 mm) diameter. The grinding chamber clearance is 0.004" to 0.006' (0.1 to 0.15 mm). This unit is autoclavable and can be used for power homogenization as with overhead stirrer.
Size: 2 ml
Mortor: 11 mm x 45 mm
OAL: 203 mm
Electron Microscopy Sciences Dounce Tissue Grinder, 15 ml, 22 mmx 94 mm Mortor, 210 mm OAL
This grinderis ideal for soft tissue and will retain a high percentage of cell nuclei and mitochondria in soft tissues from cell cultures. When in use, the pestle ball is encircled in liquid, which avoids heat buildup by reducing friction. The initial grinding is performed using the "loose" pestle. The grinding process is completed using the "tight" pestle. This grinder is used by moving the pestle up and down, and work best with cell suspensions or very soft tissues. The mortar has a large reservoir and pouring lip and is supplied with "loose” and "tight” pestles. Made of Wheaton 33 low extractable borosilicate glass. Autoclavable.
Size: 15 ml
Mortor: 22 mmx 94 mm
OAL: 210 mm
Bellco Glass, Inc. PP Pestle Only,0.5mL,Assorted Colors
Pp pestle w/ assorted colors 0.5ml. Homogenize cells or resuspend precipitates such as protein or DNA pellets. Certified free of RNase, DNase, DNA, PCR inhibitors and tested pyrogen-free.
Electron Microscopy Sciences Potter-Elvehjem Tissue Grinder PTFE with Radial Serrations, 2 ml, 11 mm x 45 mm Mortor, 203 mm OAL
Potter-Elvehjem Tissue Grinder incorporates a serrated pestle design to disperse homogenate into the mortar cylinder. Standard unit with Teflon pestles are well suited for soft tissue, such as brain and liver.
The tissue grinder are precisely constructed with completely interchangeable parts to allow easier cleaning or replacement of damaged mortars. This unit is autoclavable and can be used for power homogenization as with overhead stirrer. Depth of the serration is 0.20" to 0.25" (0.1 to 0.15 mm).
Size: 2 ml
Mortor: 11 mm x 45 mm
OAL: 203 mm
New England Biolabs, Inc. Monarch® Pestle Set - 100 sets
The Monarch Pestle Set contains single-use microtube pestles and the accompanying 1.5 ml tubes for sample disruption and homogenization prior to nucleic acid extraction. 100 green pestles and 100 tubes are included in this set.
- Set includes Monarch Pestles and Monarch Pestle Tubes
- Optimally designed for manual homogenization of tissue samples prior to nucleic acid extraction
- Single-use pestles and tubes
Electron Microscopy Sciences Tapered Tissue Mortar only, 3 ml, 11 mm x 86 mm Mortor, 220 mm OAL
Replacement parts for Tapered Tissue Grinder with stainless steel rod pestle.
Size: 3 ml
Mortor: 11 mm x 86 mm
OAL: 220 mm
Electron Microscopy Sciences Safe-Grind Potter-Elvehjem Tissue Grinder Mortar, 55 ml, 30 mmx 130 mm Mortor, 266 mm OAL
Replacement part to use in Potter-Elvehjem Safe-Grind tissue grinder.
Size: 55 ml
Mortor: 30 mmx 130 mm
OAL: 266 mm