Excipient Powders Research Articles

Physical fingerprint for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine extract powders

The physical properties of both raw materials and excipients are closely correlated with the quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations in oral solid dosage forms. In this paper, based on the concept of the chemical fingerprint for quality control of traditional Chinese medicine products, the method of physical fingerprint for quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine extract powders was proposed. This novel physical fingerprint was built by the radar map, and consisted of five primary indexes (i.e. stackablity, homogeneity, flowability, compressibility and stability) and 12 secondary indexes (i.e. bulk density, tap density, particle size<50 μm percentage, relative homogeneity index, hausner ratio, angle of repose, powder flow time, inter-particle porosity, Carr index, cohesion index, loss on drying, hygroscopicity). Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) extract was taken for an example. This paper introduced the application of physical fingerprint in the evaluation of source-to-source and batch-to-batch quality consistence of PNS extract powders. Moreover, the physical fingerprint of PNS was built by calculating the index of parameters, the index of parametric profile and the index of good compressibility, in order to successfully predict the compressibility of the PNS extract powder and relevant formulations containing PNS extract powder and conventional pharmaceutical excipients. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could not only provide new insights into the development and process control of traditional Chinese medicine solid dosage forms.

Characterization of the properties of powder excipients commonly used in pharmaceutical compounding

ABSTRACTCapsules are the most popular and versatile dosage form produced in pharmaceutical compounding. In the preparations of capsules, powder excipients are nonactive ingredients that can be used for the purpose of increasing bulk, enhancing flow, and improving stability of a powder formulation. Flow properties of powder excipients can impact not only the compounding procedure, but also the uniformity and quality of the final product. In this study, an FT4 Powder Rheometer was used to compare dynamic, bulk, and shear properties of the following four powder excipients: Loxoral, Loxasperse, a commercial powder excipient, and lactose monohydrate. Changes in flow energy, measured as the powders are exposed to external conditions such as air, compression, consolidation, and shear forces, were used to compare flow properties of the four excipients. Results show Loxasperse to have superior dynamic properties, indicating more efficient packing potentials. Though Loxoral did not have the most favorable flow in terms of dynamic properties, Loxoral outranked the other excipients when comparing bulk and shear properties. Taking into account processing equipment and the external environment, compounding pharmacists can reevaluate current formulas to include excipients with more favorable flow properties, resulting in more uniform and higher quality products.

Fine powder flow under humid environmental conditions from the perspective of surface energy

The influence of humidity on surface energetics and flow behavior of fine pharmaceutical powders was investigated. Amorphous and crystalline fine powders with hydrophilic (Corn starch and Avicel PH105) and hydrophobic (ibuprofen) nature were considered for this study. The surface energy was determined using surface energy analyzer and flow behavior was measured in terms of unconfined yield stress (UYS) using a shear tester. The study showed that unlike hydrophobic ibuprofen powder, surface energy and flow of hydrophilic excipient powders were affected by relative humidity (RH). The Lifshitz–van der Waals dispersive (γLW) component of surface energy barely changed with varying RH for all pharmaceutical powders. For hydrophilic excipients, the specific component of surface energy (γSP) was found to increase with increasing RH. Furthermore, for these excipients, flow deterioration at elevated RH was observed due to increased capillary bridge formation. Detailed analysis showed that γSP component of surface energy can be an effective indicator for flow behavior of fine powders under varying humid conditions. The present study also brought out the existence of different regimes of probable interparticle forces which dictate the bulk flow behavior of fine hydrophilic powder under humid conditions.

Highly-porous mannitol particle production using a new templating approach

A new method has been successfully developed to create highly-porous powder templates through the spray drying of mannitol, using citric acid as the templating agent and then removing the citric acid by ethanol washing of the spray-dried powders. It has been demonstrated that textural properties, such as the surface area and the pore volume of the resultant mannitol, can be tuned by varying the concentrations of citric acid, whey protein isolate (WPI), and Gum Arabic. The resulting powder structure is a mannitol network with significant porosity and high surface area of 8.0±0.4m2/g and total pore volume of 0.075ml/g. The scanning electron microscope micrographs were consistent with the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements. It has been found that higher concentrations of WPI, more than 0.5% w/w, have a detrimental effect on the porosity of the spray-dried powders from the solutions of mannitol/WPI with 2% (w/w) citric acid. For Gum Arabic, more than 1% (w/w) Gum Arabic causes lower porosities due to the lower citric acid removal by ethanol washing. The results of this study allow excipient powders to be produced with high specific surface areas.

Influence of surface modification on wettability and surface energy characteristics of pharmaceutical excipient powders

Influence of surface modification on wettability and surface energy characteristics of three micron size pharmaceutical excipient powders was studied using hydrophilic and hydrophobic grades of nano-silica. The wetting behavior assessed from contact angle measurements using sessile drop and liquid penetration (Washburn) methods revealed that both techniques showed similar wettability characteristics for all powders depending on the hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of nano-coating achieved. The polar (γsp) and dispersive (γsd) components of surface energies determined using extended Fowke’s equation with contact angle data from sessile drop method and inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution suggested a general trend of decrease in γsd for all the surface modified powders due to passivation of most active sites on the surface. However, depending on the nature of the functional groups present in nano-silica, γsp was found to be either higher or lower for hydrophilic or hydrophobic coating respectively. Results show that wettability increases with increasing γsp. Both the techniques of surface energy determination provided comparable and similar trends in γsp and γsd components of surface energies for all excipients. The study also successfully demonstrated that surface wettability and energetics of powders can be modified by varying the level of surface coating.

Use of biorelevant media for assessment of a poorly soluble weakly basic drug in the form of liquisolid compacts: in vitro and in vivo study

The purpose of this work is to use biorelevant media to evaluate the robustness of a poorly water soluble weakly basic drug to variations along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) after incorporation in liquisolid compacts and to assess the success of these models in predicting the in vivo performance. Liquisolid tablets were prepared using mosapride citrate as a model drug. A factorial design experiment was used to study the effect of three factors, namely: drug concentration at two levels (5% and 10%), carriers at three levels (avicel, mannitol and lactose) and powder excipients ratio (R) of the coating material at two levels (25 and 30). The in vitro dissolution media utilized were 0.1 N HCl, hypoacidic stomach model and a transfer model simulating the transfer from the stomach to the intestine. All compacts released above 95% of drug after 10 min in 0.1 N HCl. In the hypoacidic model, the compacts with R 30 were superior compared to R 25, where they released >90% of drug after 10 min compared to 80% for R 25. After the transfer of the optimum compacts from Simulated gastric fluid fast (SGFfast) to fasted state simulated intestinal fluid, slight turbidity appeared after 30 min, and the amount of drug dissolved slightly decreased from 96.91% to 90.59%. However, after the transfer from SGFfast to fed state simulated intestinal fluid, no turbidity or precipitation occurred throughout time of the test (60 min). In vivo pharmacokinetic study in human volunteers proved the success of the in vitro models with enhancement of the oral bioavailability (121.20%) compared to the commercial product.

Influence of liquid and vapourized solvents on explosibility of pharmaceutical excipient dusts

Hybrid mixtures of a combustible dust and flammable gas are found in many industrial processes. Such fuel systems are often encountered in the pharmaceutical industry when excipient (nonpharmaceutically active ingredient) powders undergo transfer in either a dry or solvent prewetted state into an environment possibly containing a flammable gas.The research described in this article simulated the conditions of the above scenarios with microcrystalline cellulose and lactose as excipients, and methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol as solvents. Standardized dust explosibility test equipment (Siwek 20‐L explosion chamber, MIKE 3 apparatus, and BAM oven) and ASTM test protocols were used to determine the following explosibility parameters: maximum explosion pressure (Pmax), volume‐normalized maximum rate of pressure rise (KSt), minimum explosible concentration (MEC), minimum ignition energy (MIE), and minimum ignition temperature (MIT).The experimental results demonstrate the significant enhancements in explosion likelihood and explosion severity brought about by solvent admixture in either mode. The extent of solvent influence was found to be specific to the given excipient and method of solvent addition. Solvent burning velocity considerations help to account for some of the experimental observations but for others, a more rigorous evaluation of solvent and excipient physical property data is needed. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 33: 374–379, 2014

Flow Properties of F icus Deltoidea Extract Powder and the Binders, Acdisol and Avicel

This work aimed to investigate the flowability properties of the basic powders used to make tablets by means of direct compression. The main product in this study is Ficus deltoidea extract powder, while the excipients operated as binder were croscarmellose sodium (NaCMC or Acdisol) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC or Avicel). Such excipient powders are essentially water insoluble and can also act as a filler, disintegrator and dissolver in tablet form. In order to compare and optimize powders regarding flowability, a Jenike shear tester was used to measure the flow properties of the powder particle, such as the effective angle of internal friction, flow function and the angle of wall friction. The experimental results showed higher flow property values for binders compared with F. deltoidea extract powder. These results provide essential information for the processing and handling of these powders during storage, transportation and also for the next processing step of powder – tabletting. Practical Applications Ficus deltoidea is a popular herb in Malaysia and has become an international favorite for its health-giving properties and nutritional benefits. This medicinal plant is locally known as Mas Cotek or serapat angin, telinga beruk and other few names. It is a valuable herbal plant that grows wild in the tropical forest of Malaysia, which has become an international favorite for its medicinal and healthy values. As a herbal tree, almost all of the parts of F. deltoidea plant including the roots, bark, stems, leaves and fruits are believed to have medicinal properties, which is useful for health purposes. Due to their promising and high commercial potential, the herb is studied to further develop their scientific usage in terms of pharmaceutical dosage (tablet). However, a small number of scientific work have been conducted to investigate the flow and physical properties of F. deltoidea. However, empirical knowledge and fundamental understanding of the relative contribution of flow properties of F. deltoidea extract powder to neutraceutical industries is lacking. Knowledge of flowabilities of this herb may improve its handling and processing and the quality of tablet production, particularly its mechanical properties.

Swallowing a cellular automaton pill: Predicting drug release from a matrix tablet

Matrix tablets are drug delivery devices designed to release a drug in a controlled manner over an extended period of time. We develop a cellular automaton (CA) model for the dissolution and release of a water-soluble drug and excipient from a matrix tablet of water-insoluble polymer. Cells of the CA are occupied by drug, excipient, water or polymer and the CA updating rules simulate the dissolution of drug and excipient and the subsequent diffusion of the dissolved substances. In addition we simulate the possible fracture of brittle drug and excipient powders during the tablet compression and the melting of the polymer during a possible thermal curing process. Different stirring mechanisms that facilitate the transport of dissolved drug in the fluid in which the tablet is immersed are modeled in the water cells adjacent to the boundary of the tablet. We find that our simulations can reproduce experimental drug release profiles. Our simulation tool can be used to streamline the formulation and production of sustained release tablets.

SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT AND DISSOLUTION IMPROVEMENT- LIQISOLID TECHNIQUE

This technique is based upon the admixture of drug loaded solutions with appropriate carrier and coating materials. The use of non-volatile solvent causes improved wettability and ensures molecular dispersion of drug in the formulation and leads to enhance solubility. By using hydrophobic carriers (non-volatile solvents) one can modify release (sustained release) of drugs by this technique. Liquisolid system is characterized by flow behavior, wettability, powder bed hydrophilicity, saturation solubility, drug content, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, in-vitro release and in-vivo evaluation. The increased bioavailability is due to either increased surface area of drug available for release, an increased aqueous solubility of the drug, or improved wettability of the drug particles. According to the new formulation method of liqui-solid compacts, liquid medications such as solutions or suspensions of water insoluble drugs in suitable nonvolatile liquid vehicles can be converted into acceptably flowing and compressible powders by blending with selected powder excipients. It has been speculated that such systems exhibit enhanced release profiles. In this case, even though the drug is in a solid dosage form, it is held within the powder substratin solution or, in a solubilized, almost molecularly dispersed state, which contributes to the enhanced drug dissolution properties. According to the new formulation method of liquisolid compacts, liquid medications such as solutions or suspensions of water insoluble drugs in suitable non-volatile liquid vehicles can be converted into acceptably flowing and compressible powders by blending with selected powder excipients. Large scale production of fabricated drug on commercial level successful liquisolid tablet is a determination of optimal flowable liquid retention. Keywords: Poorly soluble drugs, coating material, carrier, hydrophilic solvent, liquisolid compacts

Influence of filler selection on twin screw foam granulation

The influence of filler selection in wet granulation was studied for the novel case where the binder is delivered as an unstable, semi-rigid aqueous foam to an extrusion process. The work primarily examined the impact of differing concentrations of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH® 101) in a formulation with spray-dried α-lactose monohydrate (Flowlac® 100) in regards to wetting and granule nucleation for this relatively new technique known as continuous foam granulation. Foam stability was varied within the work to change its drainage and coarsening behavior atop these powder excipients, by use of different foamable binding agents (METHOCEL™ F4 PLV and METHOCEL™ Premium VLV) as well as by adjusting the foam quality. A static bed penetration test was first used to study the foam behavior in wetting these powders without the processing constraints of an extruder which limit possible liquid-to-solids ratios as well as introduce shear which may complicate interpretation of the mechanism. The test found that the penetration time to saturate these powders decreased as their water absorption capacity increased which in turn decreased the size of the formed nuclei. Differences in the stability of the foamed binder had minimal influence on these attributes of wetting despite its high spread-to-soak behavior. The size of granules produced by extrusion similarly demonstrated sensitivity to the increasing water absorption capacity of the filler and little dependency on foam properties. The different liquid-to-solids ratios required to granulate these different formulations inside the extruder highlighted an evolving concept of powder lubricity for continuous foam granulation.

Direct compression of cushion-layered ethyl cellulose-coated extended release pellets into rapidly disintegrating tablets without changes in the release profile

The aim of this study was to develop and optimize a segregation-free ethyl cellulose-coated extended release multiparticulate formulation to be compressed into tablets without affecting the drug release. Standard tableting excipients (e.g., microcrystalline cellulose, lactose or sorbitol) were layered onto ethyl cellulose-coated propranolol hydrochloride pellets to form a cushion layer in order to eliminate segregation problems normally resulting from particle size difference between coated pellets and excipient powders and second to protect the integrity of the brittle ethyl cellulose coating during compression. The disintegration behavior of the tablets depended strongly on the composition of the cushion layer. Rapid tablet disintegration was obtained with microcrystalline cellulose and the disintegrant sodium croscarmellose. However, the drug release from these cushion-layered pellets still increased upon compression. Incorporation of a glidant into the cushion layer or between the cushion layer and the ethyl cellulose coating reduced the compression effect on drug release markedly. Glidant-containing formulations showed a delayed deformation and damage of the ethyl cellulose-coated pellet upon mechanical stress. In summary, cushion layer based on microcrystalline cellulose facilitated segregation-free compression of a highly compression-sensitive extended release ethyl cellulose-coated pellets into fast-disintegrating and hard tablets without compromising the release properties of the multiparticulates. Directly compressible cushion-layered pellets protected the pellet coating significantly better from damages during tabletting when compared to the conventional compression of blends of coated pellets and excipient powders.

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SUSTAINED RELEASE LIQUISOLID TABLETS OF METOPROLOL SUCCINATE

L iquisolid technique is the novel concept of drug delivery via the oral route . This technique is applied to poorly water soluble, water insoluble or liphophilic drugs. According to the new formulation method of liquisolid compacts, liquid medi cations such as solutions or suspensions of water insoluble drugs in suitable non - volatile vehicles can be converted into acceptably flowing and compressible powders by blending with selected powder excipients. The present research endeavor is directed t owards the development of liquisolid compact for the production of sustained release tablet of water - soluble Metoprolol succinate . Liquisolid compacts were prepared by using Tween 80 as the liquid vehicle or non - volatile solvent , Avicel PH 102 as absorbing carrier and Aerosil 200 as adsorbing coating material. The prepare d liquisolid systems were evaluated for their micromeretic properties and possible drug excipients interactions. P - XRD analysis confi rmed that no change in crystallinity of Metoprolol succi nate Liquisolid compacts . The DSC and IR spectra analysis study ruled out no any significant interaction between the drug and excipients used in preparation of Metoprolol succinate Liquisolid compacts. The tableting properties were falling within acceptabl e limits. The in vitro dissolution study confirmed reduction in d rug release from Liquisolid compacts compared to conventional matrix tablet , in - vivo study was carried out to check the plasma drug concentration . Tween 80 has plasticizer effect by which it can reduce the glass transition temperature of polymer and impart flexibility in sustaining the release of drug from liquisolid matrices. The results showed that wet granulation had a remarkable impact on the release rate of Metoprolol succinate from liqui solid compacts, reducing the release rate o f drug from liquisolid compacts. Key wo rds : Metoprolol succinate, Liquisolid Tablets , Sustained Release, Avicel.

A Comparative Study of the Compaction Properties of Binary and Bilayer Tablets of Direct Compression Excipients

Purpose: To comparatively evaluate the tableting properties of binary mixtures and bilayer tablets containing plastic deformation and brittle fracture excipients.Methods: Binary mixture and bilayer tablets of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), ethyl cellulose, anhydrous lactose and dextrate were prepared by direct compression and the effect of compaction pressure on the materials was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). True, bulk and tap densities of excipients were determined. Furthermore, Heckel equation and Carr&#8217;s index were used to analyze the compression behaviour of the tablets.Results: The flowability of dextrate, based on Heckel and Carr&#8217;s Index data, was superior to that of other powder excipients tested. No significant difference was observed between the tensile strength of binary and bilayer tablets of the same composition. However, the tensile strength of binary and bilayer tablets of different compositions varied significantly (p &lt; 0.001), e.g., the tensile strength of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/ethyl cellulose (EC) tablets (50/50) was 1.77 MPa while that of MCC/dextrate at 50/50 composition was 1.47 MPa.Conclusion: Binary mixture and bilayer tablets show similar behaviour when formulated using excipients of similar deformation properties. However, their behavior changes when excipients with different deformation properties are blended together.Keywords: Binary mixture, Bilayer tablet, Brittle fracture, Plastic deformation, Tensile strength.

Effect of Orifice Geometry on Particle Discharge Rate for a Flat-Bottomed, Cylindrical Hopper

In this work, the influence of the geometry of a cylindrical flat-bottomed hopper orifice on the mass discharge rate of six free-flowable powder excipients with the size fraction 0.050–0.063 cm was investigated. Sixteen combinations of the orifice diameter and the height were used. The influence of the orifice diameter was described by the flow equation. However, the discharge rate was also affected by the orifice height. The influence of the orifice geometry on the powder discharge rate was indirectly studied by the parameters of the Beverloo equation. The value of the coefficient of determination and the precision of the discharge rate prediction were the basic criteria. The mean relative differences between the actual discharge rate at the combination of the orifice diameter and its height and the average discharge rate allowed a direct study of the effect of the orifice geometry. The complex nature of the orifice height impact on the powder discharge rate through the hopper opening has been determined. Based on the results, the orifice diameter of 0.8 cm with the height less than 0.8 cm is recommended. The method of powder flow evaluation proposed here can be used in testing of other powder fractions in future.

Flow rate and flow equation of pharmaceutical free-flowable powder excipients

Basic aspect of powder handling is powder flow which depends on mechanical properties of the solid material. This experimental work presents the results of flowability testing of the free-flowable particle size fraction of 0.0250–0.0315 cm of five powder excipients. The single-point determination of the mass flow rate from a cylindrical, flat-bottomed hopper was primarily influenced by the diameter of a circular orifice. The significant effect of the orifice height was also noted. Increasing the orifice height, the flow under gravity is directed resulting in the sudden acceleration of the flow rate. The critical zone relates to the orifice diameter. The multi-point determination of flowability employed the actual parameters of the flow equation which allows the prediction of the mass flow rate. The precision of the prediction was the basic criterion in optimization of the orifice geometry. Based on the results, the orifice height of 1.6 cm can be recommended for the correction of faster powder flow. For the slower powder flow, an orifice height of 0.2 cm can be used alternatively. In conclusion, the information about the orifice height used should be referred to whenever test the powder flowability and compare the results.

Applying dry powder coatings to pharmaceutical powders using a comil for improving powder flow and bulk density

A method for applying nano-sized silicon dioxide guest particles onto host pharmaceutical particles (a.k.a. “dry-coating” or “nanocoating”) has been developed using conventional pharmaceutical processing equipment. It has been demonstrated that under selected conditions, a comil can be used to induce sufficient shear to disperse silicon dioxide particles onto the surfaces of host particles such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) without significant host particle attrition. In accordance with previous studies on dry coating, the dispersed silicon dioxide adheres to the host particle surface through van der Waals attractions, and reduces bulk powder cohesion. In this work, laboratory and pilot scale comils were used to dry coat pharmaceutical API and excipient powders with 1% w/w silicon dioxide by passing them through the mill with an appropriate combination of screen and impeller. In general, the uncoated powders exhibited poor flow and/or low bulk density. After dry coating with a comil, the powders exhibited a considerable and in some cases outstanding improvement in flow performance and bulk density. This coating process was successful at both the laboratory and pilot scale with similar improvements in flow. The superior performance of the coated powders translated to subsequent formulated blends, demonstrating the benefit of using nanocoated powders over uncoated powders. This particle engineering work describes the first successful demonstration of using a traditional pharmaceutical unit operation that can be run continuously to produce uniform nanocoating and highlights the substantial improvements to powder flow properties when this approach is used.

Determination of interparticulate forces in ordered powder mixes.

Abstract The theory of interparticle bond formation is considered with particular reference to ordered powder mixing. A technique is described for measuring the interparticle adhesion forces between drug and excipient particles bound in ordered units. The method uses a specially constructed ultracentrifuge rotor tube insert such that fine adherent particles can be separated from coarser carrier particles in ordered mixes. The ordered units are held behind a screen in the rotor tube insert and when the forces generated by ultracentrifugation become greater than the interparticle adhesion forces the ordered units break down into their component particles. Adhesion profiles were obtained for four different ordered mixes containing drug and excipient powders by plotting force of adhesion against the cumulative percentage of fine drug particles adhering to the carrier particle surface. The adhesion profile is influenced by the quantity of drug powder adhering to the excipient carrier particle surface. Above a critical drug content, each ordered mix shows a ‘composite' adhesion profile consisting of two distinct curves linked by a lag period. The initial curve, preceding the lag period, appears to correspond to loss of large amounts of weakly bound drug particles; after the lag period only relatively strongly adhered particles are removed and this phase occurs more gradually. The critical drug concentration is related to the surface properties of the excipient and drug particles which determine the strength of adhesion forces within an ordered unit.

Electrostatic charge interactions in ordered powder mixes.

A method is described for measuring the electrostatic charge generated in powders following contact with a plane substrate. The method uses a Faraday well connected to an electrometer and allows the specific charge of powders to be determined. Of the various drugs and excipients studied, most charged electronegatively following contact with glass surfaces, but became electropositive after contact with polyethylene surfaces. The charge interactions of drug and excipient powders modified the behaviour of ordered mixes formed in similar conditions to those of charge measurement. Powders with like charges formed less stable ordered mixes than those in which drug and excipient particles carried opposite charges. Following triboelectrification in an air cyclone constructed of brass, powders had charges at least 100 times greater than those formed after contact with glass surfaces. Optimization of the triboelectric charging conditions allowed ordered mixes to be prepared in which a maximum electronegative charge was applied to the excipient whilst the drug was given a maximum electropositive charge. Studies of segregation/stability showed that ordered mixes subjected to triboelectrification were less prone to segregation than uncharged powders.

PowderPicking: An inexpensive, manual, medium-throughput method for powder dispensing

Many applications in late discovery/early stage formulation require repetitive accurate dispensing of solid powders. This is often performed manually using spatula and micro balance since existing automated dispensing systems are too expensive or the required starting mass is not available. In this study, commercially available Gilson MICROMAN ® positive displacement pipettes with disposable capillary piston tips were used for manual, volumetric dispensing of solid powders. Tips were filled with powder by pushing them several times into the powder (PowderPicking) and powder was expelled with the push button into target vessels. Results obtained with 10 solid drug and excipient powders with largely different size and shape indicate that the technique can be employed for repetitive powder dispensing in the 0.6 mg to 25 mg range with acceptable accuracy (average %CV in delivered mass for all dispenses was 6%). The technique is easy to calibrate and perform, rapid, inexpensive, and compound-saving, adapted to the daily demands in laboratories, and can help to close the gap for powder dispensing between labor-intense, manual weighing and expensive, high-end automated systems.