sieving

Sieving is a method used in chemistry to separate particles based on their size. This process involves using a series of screens, or sieves, with progressively smaller hole sizes. A mixture of particles is placed on the top sieve, and agitation allows particles to pass through the screens. At the end, particles are sorted according to their diameters.1

A specialized form of sieving is called a molecular sieve. These are porous materials, often zeolites, that separate particles of molecular dimensions. Molecular sieves are used to dry gases and liquids and to separate molecules based on their size, shape, and polarity. This technique is also applied in chromatography for separating polymers and proteins. Sieve analysis, more broadly, refers to grading granular material by size using a sieve.234