Influence of Powder Deposition on Powder Bed and Specimen Properties

Three-dimensional printing used to be a rapid prototyping process, but nowadays it is establishing as an additive manufacturing (AM) process. One of these AM techniques is selective laser sintering (SLS), which most often involves partial melting of the particles and therefore belongs to the category of powder bed fusion processes. Much progress has been made in this field by research on process parameters like laser power, hatch distance, and scanning speed while still lacking a fundamental understanding of the powder deposition and its influence on parts. A critical issue for economic manufacturing is the building time of parts with good mechanical properties, which can be reduced by lower surface roughness due to less or missing post processing. Therefore, the influence of three blade shapes on powder bed surface roughness has been evaluated for PA12 powder with three different grain size distributions by using advanced X-ray micro computed tomography (XMT) and a confocal laser scanning microscope (LSM). Along with those methods, new techniques for powder characterization were tested and compared. Lowest roughness has been achieved with a flat blade, based on a higher compression due to a larger contact zone between blade and powder bed. Furthermore, an anisotropic effect of the mechanical properties resulting from different building directions has been detected which can be explained by varying amounts of solid contact paths through the powder bed depending on powder application direction. In addition, an optimal combination of process parameters with an even compression of the powder bed leads to low surface roughness, complementing the advantages of additive manufacturing.

Characterization of Mechanical Property Distributions on Tablet Surfaces

Powder densification through uniaxial compaction is governed by a number of simultaneous processes taking place on a reduced time as the result of the stress gradients within the packing, as well as the frictional and adhesive forces between the powder and the die walls. As a result of that, a density and stiffness anisotropy is developed across the axial and radial directions. In this study, microindentation has been applied to assess and quantify the variation of the module of elasticity ( E m o d ) throughout the surface of cylindrical tablets. A representative set of deformation behaviors was analyzed by pharmaceutical excipients ranging from soft/plastic behavior (microcrystalline cellulose) over medium (lactose) to hard/brittle behavior (calcium phosphate) for different compaction pressures. The results of the local stiffness distribution over tablet faces depicted a linear and directly proportional tendency between a solid fraction and E m o d for the upper and lower faces, as well as remarkable stiffness anisotropy between the axial and radial directions of compaction. The highest extent of the stiffness anisotropy that was found for ductile grades of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in comparison with brittle powders has been attributed to the dual phenomena of overall elastic recovery and Poisson's effect on the relaxation kinetics. As a reinforcement of this analysis, the evolution of the specific surface area elucidated the respective densification mechanism and its implementations toward anisotropy. For ductile excipients, the increase in the contact surface area as well as the reduction and closing of interstitial pores explain the reduction of surface area with increasing compaction pressure. For brittle powders, densification evolves through fragmentation and the subsequent filling of voids.

Formation of long-term stable amorphous ibuprofen nanoparticles via antisolvent melt precipitation (AMP)

Antisolvent precipitation of poorly water-soluble drugs is a promising formulation technique to synthesize amorphous nanoparticles. The dissolution behavior of these nanoparticles is improved because of the high specific surface area and the amorphous state, leading to an enhanced bioavailability of the drug molecules. Nevertheless, stabilization of precipitated drug nanoparticles against agglomeration and recrystallization, which constitutes a key issue for further processing steps, has turned out to be a major challenge. For that reason, the present study presents a synthesis method to produce long-term stable amorphous ibuprofen nanoparticles via antisolvent precipitation. To reach this goal, a new precipitation method was developed: antisolvent melt precipitation (AMP). Formulation strategies (e.g. varying fraction of stabilizer) as well as process parameters (e.g. temperature) were under study to estimate their influence on particle size, size distribution, crystallinity, morphology and stability of synthesized drug nanoparticles.

Chemical Cross-Linking of Anatase Nanoparticle Thin Films for Enhanced Mechanical Properties

Titania nanoparticle-based thin films are highly attractive for a vast range of commercial applications. Although their application on polymer-based substrates is particularly appealing, the requirement of low process temperatures results in low mechanical stability. Highly crystalline anatase nanoparticles were used as the building blocks for coatings through a two-stage process. The main benefits of this method, over the more common sol-gel ones, are the relatively low temperature required for the production of metal oxide coatings, allowing the use of polymer-based substrates, and the defined crystallinity of the resulting thin films. Although in several cases moderate temperatures can be utilized for drying the films, the mechanical stability of the respective coatings remains a critical issue. In this contribution, we present a strategy to achieve network formation between TiO₂ nanoparticles in a preformed thin film on the basis of the cross-linking of the functionalized nanoparticles. In the first stage, the nanoparticles were functionalized by dicarboxylic acids, concurrently leading to a stable colloidal dispersion that could be utilized for dip-coating to obtain TiO₂ thin films with high homogeneity and optical transparence. During the second stage, the films were immersed in a solution of a diamine as the linker molecule, to achieve cross-linking between the nanoparticles within the film. It is demonstrated that indeed covalent bonding was realized and functional coatings with significantly enhanced mechanical properties were obtained by our strategy.

Alternative Manufacturing Concepts for Solid Oral Dosage Forms From Drug Nanosuspensions Using Fluid Dispensing and Forced Drying Technology

Flexible manufacturing technologies for solid oral dosage forms with a continuous adjustability of the manufactured dose strength are of interest for applications in personalized medicine. This study explored the feasibility of using microvalve technology for the manufacturing of different solid oral dosage form concepts. Hard gelatin capsules filled with excipients, placebo tablets, and polymer films, placed in hard gelatin capsules after drying, were considered as substrates. For each concept, a basic understanding of relevant formulation parameters and their impact on dissolution behavior has been established. Suitable matrix formers, present either on the substrate or directly in the drug nanosuspension, proved to be essential to prevent nanoparticle agglomeration of the drug nanoparticles and to ensure a fast dissolution behavior. Furthermore, convection and radiation drying methods were investigated for the fast drying of drug nanosuspensions dispensed onto polymer films, which were then placed in hard gelatin capsules. Changes in morphology and in drug and matrix former distribution were observed for increasing drying intensity. However, even fast drying times below 1 min could be realized, while maintaining the nanoparticulate drug structure and a good dissolution behavior.

Novel strategies for the formulation and processing of poorly water-soluble drugs

Low aqueous solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients presents a serious challenge in the development process of new drug products. This article provides an overview on some of the current approaches for the formulation of poorly water-soluble drugs with a special focus on strategies pursued at the Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering of the TU Braunschweig. These comprise formulation in lipid-based colloidal drug delivery systems and experimental as well as computational approaches towards the efficient identification of the most suitable carrier systems. For less lipophilic substances the preparation of drug nanoparticles by milling and precipitation is investigated for instance by means of microsystem-based manufacturing techniques and with special regard to the preparation of individualized dosage forms. Another option to overcome issues with poor drug solubility is the incorporation into nanospun fibers.