Deciphering the role of granule deformation and fragmentation for the tableting performance of some dry granulated powders

Abstract

In this study, the question of how fragmentation and deformation of granules during compression can be linked to the tableting performance of dry granulated powders is addressed. Granulated powders of a systematically varied composition of a plastic and a brittle material were prepared by slugging and thereafter compacted into tablets. The tablet's micro-structure, porosity, and tensile strength were assessed; moreover, the relationships between the Adams compression parameters τ 0 and α and the tableting performance were studied. The composition and the slugging pressure had a limited effect on the tablet porosity. However, they had a marked effect on the tablet micro-structure, which varied from tablets composed of deformed but otherwise preserved granules to tablets composed of small granule fragments. The tablet tensile strength, the loss of tabletability, and the lubricant sensitivity varied with the Adams compression parameters, indicating a complex effect of granule fragmentation and deformation on the tableting performance. The effect of the granule compression properties on the tableting performance is mediated by the number and average force of the intergranular bonds of the tablet. • The granule composition affects degree of granule fragmentation and deformation • The absolute tablet tensile strength is governed by the degree of deformation • The lubricant sensitivity is controlled by the degree of granule fragmentation • The granule fragmentation affects the loss of tabletability by number of bonds • The granule deformation affects the loss of tabletability by bonding force