Effect of Compaction Speed and Die Diameter on Athy-Heckel and Hardness Parameters of Compressed Tablets

Multivariate data analysis to evaluate commonly used compression descriptors

Numerous studies elucidated material behavior based on compression analyses. Especially compressibility, compactibility and tabletability were in the focus of these investigations. In the present study, a comprehensive multivariate data analysis was performed using principal component analysis method. Twelve pharmaceutically used excipients were selected for direct compression tableting and subsequent evaluation of several compression analyses. Material properties, tablet properties, tableting parameters and parameters from compression analyses were used as input variables. The materials could successfully be grouped using principal component analysis. Of the tableting parameters, the compression pressure showed the greatest influence on the results. The tabletability was found to be the most important compression analysis in the material characterization. Compressibility and compactibility only played a minor role in the evaluation. Some important insights have been gained for a deeper understanding of the tableting process using the multivariate approach to evaluate the variety of compression data.

Effects of true density, compacted mass, compression speed, and punch deformation on the mean yield pressure

Compressibility properties of pharmaceutical materials are widely characterized by measuring the volume reduction of a powder column under pressure. Experimental data are commonly analyzed using the Heckel model from which powder deformation mechanisms are determined using mean yield pressure (Py). Several studies from the literature have shown the effects of operating conditions on the determination of Py and have pointed out the limitations of this model. The Heckel model requires true density and compacted mass values to determine Py from force-displacement data. It is likely that experimental errors will be introduced when measuring the true density and compacted mass. This study investigates the effects of true density and compacted mass on Py. Materials having different particle deformation mechanisms are studied. Punch displacement and applied pressure are measured for each material at two compression speeds. For each material, three different true density and compacted mass values are utilized to evaluate their effect on Py. The calculated variation of Py reaches 20%. This study demonstrates that the errors in measuring true density and compacted mass have a greater effect on Py than the errors incurred from not correcting the displacement measurements due to punch elasticity.

Calcium phosphates in pharmaceutical tableting. 2. Comparison of tableting properties

Ten calcium phosphates suitable for direct compression (dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, dibasic calcium phosphate anhydrous and hydroxylapatite) were investigated with respect to their compressional behaviour. Except for Di-Cafos A all products gave tablets with sufficient to good mechanical strength. Nevertheless, there were differences between the products. All tablets prepared from the different products showed a high friability. This seems to be a problem of the calcium phosphates in general. On the other hand, the influence of magnesium stearate on the mechanical strength of the tablets was negligible for all products investigated. Moreover, a considerable effect of the particle size on the tensile strength of the tablets was found. The ejection forces and residual pressures were high in general, but critical only in the case of hydroxylapatites. Heckel plots were used to differentiate between plastic deformation and brittle fracture of the particles. In the case of calcium phosphates the slope of the Heckel plots indicated the hardness of the particles rather than their deformation behaviour.