There are two scientific disciplines that work with powders and their particle characterization. One is earth science, involving the study of natural deposits of gravels, sands, silts, and clays. The interest is not just in describing these varied deposits of sediment, but on ascertaining the origin of such deposit. Textbooks on lab methods have included Krumbein and Pettijohn (1938), Griffiths (1967), Carver (1971), and Folk (1974). The field is closely linked to the petroleum industry, mining industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing industry, and space programs.

The second discipline is that of powder technology, principally involving the chemical industry, where the properties of manmade powders and their quality control is of prime importance. Biomedical and military research, the paint industry, ceramic industry, and industrial incineration are but a few of the many sides to this research. Textbooks within this field include Allen (1981), Kaye (1981), and Barth (1984). Although a much younger science compared to geology, the field of powder technology has led the way in recent years, developing automated methods of particle size analysis. With close links to industry, automation means increased speed of analysis and precision of results, and thus increased profits.

Earth scientists have borrowed heavily from the powder technology industry, adapting many of the automated methods for use in their laboratories. In the earth sciences, the number of analyses required every year grows. Grossly approximated, the number of sediment samples analyzed worldwide is 800,000 per annum.