Tabletting behaviour of pellets of a series of porosities—a comparison between pellets of two different compositions

Abstract

The tabletting behaviour of pellets prepared from a 4:1 mixture of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCP) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was studied and compared with the tabletting behaviour of pellets made solely from microcrystalline cellulose (results from an earlier study by Johansson et al.). A series of pellets with porosities in the range 26–55% were prepared and tabletted at applied pressures of 25–200 MPa. Tablets were also formed from lubricated pellets. The degree of compression during compaction was calculated, and the porosity and tensile strength of the tablets and their permeability to air flow were determined. The porosity of the pellets was found to significantly affect the tabletting behaviour of the DCP/MCC pellets. However, the relationship between pellet porosity and tablet data for the DCP/MCC pellets was different from that for the MCC pellets. The DCP/MCC pellets were generally less prone to a reduction in volume during tabletting, and the pore structure of the DCP/MCC tablets was more closed. It was concluded that the DCP/MCC pellets were more rigid and underwent a different mode of deformation during tabletting than the MCC pellets. This mode of deformation was characterised by a more limited bulk deformation and a more extensive surface deformation at the pellet surfaces. The DCP/MCC pellets tended to give tablets of a lower mechanical strength. They were also less sensitive to lubrication in terms of their compactability, which may be explained either by less surface coverage by the lubricant before compression or rupture of the lubricant film during compression caused by the more extensive surface deformation of DCP/MCC pellets.