Which process is defined as reducing material to powder or small fragments?

The process of reducing material to powder or small fragments is primarily referred to as grinding. Grinding involves the use of mechanical force to break down the material into finer particles, often using tools such as mills or grinders. This method is commonly used in various industries, including construction and manufacturing, for materials such as ores, grains, and in this context, asbestos-containing materials, which need to be handled carefully due to their hazardous nature.

While fragmenting, chipping, and shredding involve breaking materials into smaller pieces, they each have different applications and contexts. Fragmenting may refer more generally to breaking something into segments but does not specifically imply the reduction to powder. Chipping typically involves removing chips from a material—often in woodworking or metalworking—and results in larger pieces rather than powder. Shredding usually refers to tearing materials into smaller strips or pieces, often seen in recycling processes and not necessarily reducing them to a powdery state. Thus, grinding is the most accurate term for achieving the specific reduction to powder or very fine particles.