An infrared spectrophotometric study of the compaction mechanism of potassium bromide

Abstract

Abstract Potassium bromide has been compacted in a vacuum die at pressures up to 1000 MN m−2, and the infrared transmittance of the resulting flat discs measured. Four mean particle sizes were used: 71, 110, 388 and 550 μm. Over the whole range of pressure, the 110 μm material had a higher transmittance. At any one particle size, the transmittance increased with increasing compaction pressure up to 400 MN m−2, then fell slightly and was followed by a less pronounced increase in the region of 1000 MN m−2. The following mechanical properties of the compacts were also investigated: tensile strength, relative density, surface hardness and dissolution time. The transmittance changes have been related to the probable compaction mechanism.