Powder Compaction in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Summary
Powder compaction is the cornerstone of tablet and solid‐dose manufacture, transforming loose particulate blends into coherent dosage forms through the application of pressure. During compaction, particles undergo rearrangement, fragmentation and plastic or elastic deformation, reducing inter‐particle voids and forming bonds that impart mechanical strength. Key formulation parameters—particle size and shape, moisture content, lubricant type and concentration—govern flow, die‐wall friction and the evolution of tablet porosity. Control of porosity is critical for dissolution rate, content uniformity and stability. Modern developments in high-throughput presses and continuous manufacturing demand deeper insight into micro-mechanical behaviour and predictive modelling to ensure consistent quality by design. Advances in particle engineering and process simulation have extended compaction science beyond empirical formulation to a mechanistic discipline, linking material attributes with performance and enabling tailored release profiles, improved manufacturability and global regulatory compliance.
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Powder Compaction in Pharmaceutical Formulations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in powder compaction in pharmaceutical formulations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Densification: The reduction of void space in a powder bed under pressure, leading to increased bulk density.
Porosity: The fraction of the tablet volume occupied by voids; a key determinant of dissolution and mechanical strength.
Heckel analysis: A mathematical model relating applied pressure to the logarithm of reciprocal tablet porosity, used to characterise deformation mechanisms.
Finite element method (FEM): A numerical technique dividing the powder and tooling into discrete elements to simulate stress, strain and density evolution during compaction.
Compaction pressure: The force per unit area applied to a powder bed; higher pressures drive greater deformation but may induce elastic recovery or fracture.
References
- Moisture Behavior of Pharmaceutical Powder during the Tableting Process. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- A Mathematical Approach to Consider Solid Compressibility in the Compression of Pharmaceutical Powders. Pharmaceutics (2019).
- Predictive modelling of powder compaction for binary mixtures using the finite element method. Powder Technology (2022).
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