Flowability of fine pharmaceutical powders

大约80%的药品是固体剂型（即片剂和胶囊）。片剂的大规模生产包括将活性药物成分与其他化合物大规模混合，全部以细粉末形式，然后将粉末混合物转移到自动压片机中。这是分批完成的，混合粉末从料斗或料斗送入压片机。当粉末混合物开始从料斗中流动不良或甚至完全停止流动时，问题就会出现。这可能会对产品质量产生不利影响，并导致在生产规模上价值数十万美元的批次药片被拒绝。粉末的粒度、粒度分布、密度和形状等物理性质对粉末流动的影响，目前还缺乏明确的认识。目前的研究旨在通过在萨斯喀彻温大学化学工程系最先进的颗粒表征实验室中充分表征各种药物粉末来提高这种理解。还将对单个粉末及其有序混合物进行流动性的标准测量。粉末的流动性与粉末的大小、形状、密度和水分含量等物理性质有关。该结果将为制药工业提供有价值的新信息，并为改进固体剂型的生产过程控制提供依据。

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.