Powder producers in chemical, mineral and pharmaceutical markets are exploring new processing methods to isolate smaller average particle sizes and tighter overall particle size distributions. Consumer demand for higher quality end products is driving these producers to explore new technologies in the area of powder processing. Manufacturers of powder processing equipment have, in turn, developed new and improved methods for producing powder products that meet/exceed these stringent parameters.

This paper will review the basics of particle size reduction and classification, and describe recent developments in powder manufacturing technologies.