Abstract
Powder adhesion or sticking onto punches is one of the outstanding issues in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing. We show in this work that, at comparable particle sizes, the acesulfame potassium exhibited pronouncedly reduced propensity to punch sticking than acesulfame. Detailed analyses revealed strong correlation between sticking propensity and crystal mechanical properties and surface chemistry. The free acid was highly plastic with high cohesive strength, while the salt form was brittle. During compaction, surfaces of acesulfame in contact with the punch face are abundant in electronegative functional groups, while those of the salt consist of mainly hydrophobic groups. Thus, acesulfame underwent stronger interactions with the electron-deficient punch. Consequently, the strikingly different onset and severity of sticking propensity between the two solid forms of acesulfame could be clearly explained based on their different crystal mechanical properties and surface characteristics. By providing molecular insight into the outstanding problem of punch sticking in tablet manufacturing, this work expands the list of pharmaceutical applications of crystal engineering.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.