Flowability of fine pharmaceutical powders

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Approximately 80% of pharmaceutical products are in the solid dosage form (i.e. tablets and capsules). Mass production of tablets involves the large-scale blending of the active drug ingredient with other compounds, all in fine powder form, followed by the transfer of the powder mixture into an automated tablet press. This is accomplished batchwise, with the powder blend fed from a bin or hopper into the tablet press. Problems can arise when the powder blend begins to flow poorly from the hopper or even stops flowing all together. This can have an adverse affect on product quality and lead to the rejection of batches of tablets that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at the production scale. Presently there is a lack of clear understanding with respect to how the powder physical properties of size and size distribution, density, and shape influence the powder flow. The present research aims to improve this understanding by fully characterizing various pharmaceutical powders in the state-of-the art particle characterization lab in the University of Saskatchewan Chemical Engineering Department. Standard measurements of flowability will also be performed for the individual powders and their ordered mixtures. The flowability will be related to the powder physical properties of size, shape, density and moisture content. The results will provide valuable new information to the pharmaceutical industry and provide the basis for improved process control in the manufacture of the solid dosage form.