Tabletting Articles

This
study investigated the basic physico-chemical property and binding
functionality of commonly used commercial direct compression
binders/fillers. The compressibility of these materials was also
analyzed using compression parameters derived from the Heckel,
Kawakita, and Cooper-Eaton equations. Five classes of excipients were
evaluated, including microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), starch, lactose,
dicalcium phosphate (DCP), and sugar. In general, the starch category
exhibited the highest moisture content followed by MCC, DCP, lactose,
and finally sugar; DCP displayed the highest density, followed by
sugar, lactose, starch, and MCC; the material particle size is highly
processing dependent. The data also demonstrated that MCC had moderate
flowability, excellent compressibility, and extremely good compact
hardness; with some exceptions, starch, lactose, and sugar generally
exhibited moderate flowability, compressibility, and hardness; DCP had

The tabletting characteristics of low crystallinity celluloses (LCPC)-LCPC-700, LCPC-2000, and LCPC-4000-prepared using agitation rates of 700, 2000, and 4000 rpm, respectively, during their regeneration from phosphoric acid, were evaluated and compared with those of Avicel PH-102 and Avicel PH-302. The mean deformation pressure values calculated from the linear region of the Athy-Heckel curves indicated LCPC-4000 to be the most ductile material. The area under the Athy-Heckel curve for LCPC-4000 was 330 MPa, whereas LCPC-700 and LCPC-2000 showed a corresponding value similar to that of Avicel PH-102 and Avicel PH-302 (192-232 MPa). The tensile strength of LCPC and Avicel compacts increased linearly with increasing applied pressures. A comparison of the area under the tensile strength-compression pressure curves indicated that LCPC-4000 formed the strongest tablets.

very solid-dose formulation team starts out aiming for a direct-compression tablet. It’s the most straightforward, easiest to control, and least expensive manufacturing option. Direct compression, of course, uses two primary process steps, mixing and compression, to produce the finished tablet.Wet granulation adds five more operations: wet granulation, wet milling, drying, milling, and mixing again.

Each additional step requires equipment, operators, space, power, and expense…and every step lowers the yield and increases the risk of out-of-specification product. So the most attractive solution almost always is the familiar, undramatic standby, direct compression. “The basic tablet press has been fill, compress, and eject since about 1875,” says a veteran equipment marketer. “Ever since then, it’s been a matter of how do you control it better and now how do you clean it better.”

Starch is one of the most widely used excipients in the manufacture of solid dosage forms. Researchers have tried to develop botanical starches for use as binders and disintegrants in tablet formulations (1–5). For example, sweet potato and cocoyam starches have shown potential as binding agents and/or disintegrants in tablet formulations (3, 6). The effects of these starches on compressional characteristics of the tablets and mechanical properties, however, have not been investigated. In this article, the effects of sweet potato and cocoyam starches on a paracetamol tablet formulation’s compressional characteristics and mechanical properties are compared with those of official cornstarch BP grade. The tablets’ compressional characteristics were studied using density measurements and the Heckel and Kawakita equations (7–9).

The development of new direct compression excipients should include a comprehensive and rapid determination of deformation properties. The aim of this study was to characterize StarLac, a new coprocessed compound for direct compression based on lactose and maize starch. For this purpose, the effects of the base materials (maize starch and spray-dried lactose) were considered and the influence of the spray-drying process was investigated. This was performed by comparing the physical mixture of starch and spray-dried lactose at the same ratio as for StarLac. For analysis of the deformation behavior, the 3-D model and the Walker equation were applied; for verification, the Heckel equation and the pressure time function (a modified Weibull equation) were used.

The purpose of this study was to assess the potential use of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as matrix-forming material for tablets and extrudates. Raw materials were characterized for size, size distribution, and shape. Tablets with 2- and 10-mm diameter were prepared by direct compression at both 13 and 38 MPa from mixtures with poly(ethylene oxide)s, a model drug (propranolol hydrochloride), and lactose. To these mixtures water was added (16%-43%) prior to extrusion in a ram extruder fit with different dies (1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-mm diameter and 4-mm length). Tablets and extrudates were characterized for work of compression or extrusion, respectively, relaxation, tensile strength, friability, and drug release. Both PEOs produced tablets easily and with different properties. Some relaxation was observed, particularly for tablets with higher amounts of PEOs.

This study evaluated tableting compression by using internal and external lubricant addition. The effect of lubricant addition on the enzymatic activity of trypsin, which was used as a model drug during the tableting compression process, was also investigated. The powder mixture (2% crystalline trypsin, 58% crystalline lactose, and 40% microcrystalline cellulose) was kneaded with 5% hydroxypropyl cellulose aqueous solution and then granulated using an extruding granulator equipped with a 0.5-mm mesh screen at 20 rpm. After drying, the sample granules were passed through a 10-mesh screen (1680 μm). A 200-mg sample was compressed by using 8-mm punches and dies at 49, 98, 196, or 388 MPa (Mega Pascal) at a speed of 25 mm/min. The external lubricant compression was performed using granules without lubricant in the punches and dies. The granules were already dry coated by the lubricant.

The purpose of this study was to predict the capping tendencies of pharmaceutical powders by creating indentation fracture on compacts. Three sets of binary mixtures containing different concentrations of each ingredient were used in the study. The binary mixtures were chosen to represent plastic-plastic, plastic-brittle, and brittle-brittle combination of materials. The mixtures were tableted at different pressures and speeds on Prester®, a tablet press simulator. These mixtures were also compacted on the Instron® Universal Testing Machine 4502. Static indentation tests were done on these compacts at different depths until surface cracking and chipping were observed. The extent of surface cracking and chipping was observed from light microscope and scanning electron microscope images. A rank order correlation was observed between lamination susceptibility and the depth at which indentation failure occurred.