powder flow - prac Flashcards
why must powder flow be good
if not insignificant weight variation
potentially cause product failure
what is powder flowability
ability of powder to flow with ease and consistency
how to measure flowability
no single test
- its not an inherent property but
trait derived and affected by combination of factors
what are the factors affecting powder flowability
physical properties of the powder affecting flow
- environment
- equipment used to handle process or store the powder
what is the angle of repose
angle relative to the horizontal base of the conical pile produced when a powder material is poured onto a horizontal surface
what is the angle of repose related to
density, surface area and coefficient of friction of the material
what is the apparatus used to measure the angle of repose
- name of the tester and what it comprises of
eg is copley powder flow tester
comprises of
- funnel
- base spout shuttered by a stopper
- cylindrical base for a free standing powder cone to form
what is the angle of repose used to indicate
provides a measure of powder flow
- can predict the performance of powder when transferred
list the angle of repose and the flow properties
angle : 25-30 - excellent 31-35 - good 36-40 - fair , aid not needed 41-45 - passable, may hang up 46-55 - poor, must agitate , vibrate 56-65 - very poor > 66 - very, very poor
purpose of lubricants
improve flowability
reduce sticking and friction between tablet and compaction tool surfaces
popular lubricant and what type of lubricant is it
mg stearate
boundary lubricant
disadvantage of mg stearate
can cause detrimental effects on tablet hardness and dissolubility
- commonly seen with hydrophobic substances
steps in measuring angle of repose
- ensure funnel is vertically upright
- fix funnel stem tip about 30mm above graph paper
- empty all the lactose powder provided into the black mixing container
- for the first determination, pour some powder over the graph paper to “season” the graph paper by spreading the powder over the paper with a spatula. then return the powder back into the container and dust away any remaining powder. place the graph paper below the funnel.
- pour the powder into the funnel to form a free standing cone of about 20mm
- assist the flow with a thin rod or wire if the powder does not flow freely through the funnel
- switch on the inclinometer , place it flat and levelled on the graph paper, set it to “zero”
- tilt the inclinometer with bottom edge parallel to the slope of the cone,
determine the angle of the cone formed using the inclinometer, in 2 opposite directions and record the angles in the results form. r - move the retort stand forward to form another cone and repeat angle of repose measurements
- carefully empty out all of the remaining powder from the black mixing container and in the funnel onto the paper
- place the empty mixing container onto the weighing balance and tare its weight. transfer the powder from the paper into the mixing container. record the weight of the powder collected. - weigh out 0.2% w/w of lubricant on a small paper, add the weighed lubricant to the the black container containing lactose
- mix the powders in a figure of 8 formation for 3 minutes . repeat steps 5-8 to test powder flow.
- incrementally add magnesium stearate, mix and repeat the angle of repost measurement
materials needed for the experiment
lactose powder, stock lubricant, stock empty mixing container and cover spatula or spoon weighing paper plastire wire twist tie or thin rod weighing balance ( for weighing lubricant and must be at least 3 decimal place balance )
what data to collect
the weight of lactose amt of mgst added for the final conc angles of both sides for cone 1 angles of both sides for cone 2 average angle of the 4
plot of angle of repose vs lubricant conc
steps in using manual tablet press
- use free flowing powder containing 1% w/w of mgst
- pour excess amt of powder on the tableting table over the die
- sweep the powder across the die cavity
- lock pressure release valve ( turn towards you ) and pump til pressure gauge shows the desired force ( 1 bar _
- release the piston pressure ( turn away from u )
- eject the tablet by pulling the ejection lever
- collect tablet
identify the parts of the manual tablet press
- ejection lever on the left
- hydraulic pressure gauge on top
- pump handle on the right
- pressure release valve on the right bottom
describe the methodology for measuring
hardness
- place the tablet between the platens of the hardness tester
- determine hardness