Powdering, shaking, and stirring

Powdering of small amounts of solid before reaction, extraction, or drying, etc., should, whenever possible, be carried out in the vessel to be used for the later operations. It is effected with a glass rod whose end has been rounded or flattened by melting. Finer powdering can be achieved in the usual agate mortar but losses may then amount to 10-25%. 

Because of the small dimensions of the apparatus no special mechanical apparatus is required for discontinuous shaking in micro chemistry. For continuous shaking, any of the usual laboratory shaking machines can be used, vibratory shakers being particularly suitable for micro work.63 

Small amounts of materials are usually mixed by hand-shaking or stirring with a glass rod. When continuous stirring is required, a smaller version of the usual laboratory stirrer can be used if the shape and size of the vessel permit, or the very useful magnetic stirrers can be inserted.64 

A vibratory stirrer with controllable amplitude is a very simple and effective tool the stirring rod is made of acid-resistant steel or glass and ends in a 

Herout, B. Keil, M. Protiva, M/Hudlicky, I. Ernest, and J. Gut, Laboratoriums-technik der organischen Chemie, Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1961. 

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