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.
Cole-Parmer Essentials Mortar and Pestle Set, Porcelain; 500 mL
Mortars are glazed on the outside and pestles are glazed to grinding surface. Features pouring spout for easy pouring. Both mortar and pestle are sold as a set.
International Crystal BALL PESTLE 3/8 100/PK
Ball Pestle, Polycarbonate, 3/8 in. dia., Wig-L-Bug Accessory
Cole-Parmer Mortar and Pestle Set, Porcelain; 300 mL, Each
Mortars are glazed on the outside and pestles are glazed to grinding surface. Features pouring spout for easy pouring. Both mortar and pestle are sold as a set.
Chemplex Industries BALLPESTLES TUNGCARBIDE 8MM
CHEMPLEX BALL PESTLES: FOR SPECTROVIALS(TM) Comminution Vials, Tungsten Carbide; 6 units per package, 8mm
Revvity Health Sciences Inc Hard Tissue Homogenizing Mix 2.8 mm Ceramic (50 mL Tubes) (50/pk)
Hard Tissue Homogenizing Mix 2.8 mm Ceramic (50 mL Tubes) (50/pk)
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
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
USA Scientific Inc sft tissue homogenizing kit
Soft tissue homogenizing kit with motor, adapter, and 12 Omni tips
Chemplex Industries BALLPESTLES TUNGCARBIDE 12.7MM
CHEMPLEX BALL PESTLES: FOR SPECTROVIALS(TM) Comminution Vials, Tungsten Carbide; 6 units per package, 12.7mm
Chemplex Industries IMPACT MORTAR & PESTLE 70CM3
CHEMPLEX Impact Mortar and Pestle Set (Stainless and Hardened Chrome Steel), Sample Capacity: 70 cm3; 5 in3
Chemplex Industries BALL PESTLES SS 7MM
CHEMPLEX BALL PESTLES: FOR SPECTROVIALS(TM) Comminution Vials, Stainless Steel, 7mm
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-Tube Sample Pestles for 1.5ml Tubes, RNase and DNase Free, 100 per Package
Ideal for manually homogenizing cells and resuspending proteins or DNA pellets in buffers. Polypropylene and autoclavable.
Pestle only for 1.5ml tubes.
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.