Granule Size Research Articles

The acceleration of aerobic sludge granulation by alternating organic loading rate: Performance and mechanism

As a highly promising treatment technology for wastewater, long start-up time is one of the bottlenecks hindering the widespread application of aerobic granular sludge (AGS). This study focused on exploring the possibility of alternating organic loading rate (OLR) in promoting AGS granulation. Under alternating OLR (3.6–14.4 kgCOD/m3·d), AGS granulation was significantly accelerated. The mean granule size under alternating load reached 234.6 μm at 17 d, while under constant OLR (7.2 kgCOD/m3·d), the mean granule size was only 179.2 μm. Moreover, the granule size maintained continuous growth even when the alternating OLR was changed to constant OLR. Alternating load significantly increased the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), especially proteins (PN) in tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), which was likely the main reason for accelerating AGS granulation. Moreover, alternating load reduced the hydrophilicity of EPS and promoted the content of proteins secondary structures that favored aggregation in TB-EPS, which were also beneficial for granulation. Microbial community results showed that alternating load might promote the enrichment of EPS producing bacteria, such as Thauera, Brevundimonas and Shinella. Meanwhile, the content of enzymes that regulated amino acids metabolism also increased under alternating load, which might be related to the increase of PN in EPS. These results further demonstrated that alternating load promoted granulation through EPS.

Impact of granule-associated lipid removal on the property changes of octenylsuccinylated small-granule starches

Starch granule associated lipids (GALs) are known to alter the properties and functions of small granule starches. To test the hypothesis that the removal GALs from small granule starches could increase the overall reactive surface and improve octenyl-succinylation (OSA) modification efficiency, four small granules starches from rice, oat, quinoa, amaranth and a waxy maize starch were subjected to defat, OSA esterification and combined defatted and OSA treatment. The combined treatment showed a significant improvement in the degree of substitution for all starches from both tritration and 1H NMR methodologies. Confocal microscopy revealed a more uniform distribution of OSA groups on the starch surface. After GALs removal, the bimodal granule size distribution was diminished but reappeared during OSA modification. Pasting viscosity increased for the OSA and GALs removed quinoa, waxy maize and amaranth starches, but it decreased on modified rice and oat starches. OSA treatment alone significantly altered the gelling and rheological properties towards a more soft and less stable starch structure. The combined treatment compensated these changes to some extent and filled the property gap between the native and OSA modified starches. This study demonstrated that removing GALs can achieve more profound OSA derivatization.

The Tolerancing Obtained with Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing Process in 17-4PH Steel - Case Study

Digital manufacturing is one of the pillars of Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing is certainly evolving very quickly, with more and more technologies being developed and materials being applied to this production area. However, with this growth and the capacity associated with this type of processes, it is extremely important to understand these processes, so that they can respond quantitatively and qualitatively to market needs. The present work intended to contribute to the improvement of the metal binder jetting process by simulating the manufacturing process of a proposed part, using the Simufact™ software and Desktop Metal software. After validating the parts with manufacturing with Binder jetting additive process. Subsequently, the metrological inspection and analysis of the respective results were carried out. Simulations were carried out for different values of powder size and density of the green part to assess their impact on the quality of the final part. The parts were produced in 17 – 4PH steel using a Shop System Desktop Metal machine. Were produced 5 parts with the following parameters, part (A) model with compensation obtained by Desktop software, part (B) model compensated by the Simufact additive software with 20% scale, part (C) model with scale 1: 1.2, part (D) model obtained by the Simufact additive software and part (E) model without scale. The measurements for the dimensional analysis were made with a digital caliper, while for the geometric analysis, measurements were made on a CMM machine.The simulations revealed smaller errors for larger granule sizes and also for larger green part densities. The inspection of the produced part, on the other side, exposed greater dimensional inaccuracy in X and less in Z direction. It also showed that, for the same element of the part, there is still a relationship between the ratio of the measured dimensions and the ratio of the deviations obtained. The results also showed that parts simulated by two software’s (A and D) are the ones with the best final quality, they presented smaller dimensional and geometric deviations in relation to the proposed model. The highest tolerance grades of these parts were in ISO standard IT15 and IT14 for part D and part A respectively.

Numerical modeling and parametric analysis of performance of a monopropellant thruster using a single-part catalyst bed model

Monopropellant hydrazine thruster, depending on their thrust level, specific impulse, and unique functional regime, are widely used in situation control, orbital transmission, and position correction systems of satellites. In these thrusters, hydrazine decomposes by passing through the catalyst bed in a highly exothermic reaction to hot gas products. Hot gases generate thrust force by passing through a convergent-divergent nozzle. Pore scale analysis of catalytic reactions is very common in various industries and is of interest to researchers due to its accuracy. In this paper, the decomposition chamber of a monopropellant hydrazine thruster is numerically simulated with a single-part bed model at the pore-scale. The length of decomposition chamber was 2.48 cm. Then the effects of parameters such as catalyst granule diameter, catalyst bed porosity coefficient and also chamber inlet pressure on the performance of the decomposition chamber and thruster are investigated. Simulations have been performed for catalyst granules with diameters of 0.88, 1.00 and 1.15 mm in three porosity coefficients of 0.4, 0.55 and 0.65. The inlet pressure is also changed from 10 to 25 bar in four different levels. The results showed that the porosity coefficient is the most effective parameter and with its decrease, the specific impulse and temperature rise, while the thrust force and mass flow rate intensify. Also, the size of the catalyst granules affects the performance of the bed and thruster so that by increasing it (at a certain porosity coefficient), a trend similar to the effect of decreasing the porosity coefficient can be seen in the results. On the other hand, with enhancing inlet pressure, the thrust force increases significantly. In this paper, the effect of bed parameters on the thruster performance is discussed in detail, which contains helpful results for researchers that work on improving the decomposition chamber efficiency.

Mechanistic modeling of semicontinuous fluidized bed drying of pharmaceutical granules by incorporating single particle and bulk drying kinetics

In this work, a mechanistic fluidized bed drying model computing the granule moisture content in function of granule size, drying time, process settings and formulation properties is developed. Modeling the moisture content distribution concerning the granule size is essential for tabletability and drug product quality. This work combines a mechanistic bulk model and a single-particle drying kinetics model in a semicontinuous mode. The added model complexity allows physical approximations of drying phenomena at both the drying system level and the granular level. This includes quantifying the variations in moisture content by taking into account the specific dryer design and the variations in granule size. The model performance was quantified through industrially relevant case studies. It was revealed that the proposed model structure accurately predicts the drying behavior of the yield fraction. However, systematic model biases were observed for the fine and coarse fractions of the granule size distribution. In addition, discrepancies in the predicted outgoing air properties (relative air humidity and air temperature) were obtained. Further enhancement of the model complexity, e.g. complete incorporation of fluidization and segregation phenomena, is likely to improve the model performance. Notwithstanding, the developed model forms a step towards a formulation-generic fluidized bed drying model as interacting mechanisms on different levels of the drying system are considered.

Settling velocity of algal-bacterial granular sludge studied in the sequence batch reactor

Granule settling velocity is critical to biosolids-liquid separation. The settling velocity of algal-bacterial granules versus the diameter of granules was examined as a function of granule diameter in the sequence batch reactor in eleven days of cultivation. Despite granules having an apparently compact and rounded shape and considerable scatter of the data, the results never showed granules are homogeneously dense packed structures in the range of 10 μm to 1.0 mm in diameter. The settling velocity increases with granule size. The estimated fractal dimension was always less than two. The result was interpreted as forming heterogeneous compact layered structures in the shell from the early stage of cultivation rather than rearrangement from a bulk floc into a dense structure. Additional analysis for the cultivation of 150 days confirmed the considerable growth of size and fluffy hair. However, the settleability of small fragments remained relatively the same as heterogeneous compact structures.

Effects of starch multiscale structure on the physicochemical properties and digestibility of Radix Cynanchi bungei starch

Radix Cynanchi bungei (RCb) contains 40–70 % starch, yet little is known about the structure and properties of RCb starch. In this study, the multiscale structure of two cultivars of RCb starch (YW201501 and BW201001) were characterized, and the effects of starch structure on its physicochemical properties were investigated. The differences in physicochemical properties of RCb starch were influenced by its multiscale structure. The starch granules were round and irregular polygon, with sizes ranging between 2 and 14 μm. YW201501 had a higher amylose (21.81 %) and lipid (0.96 %) content, molecular weight (59.5 × 106 g/mol), and A chain proportion (27.5 %), and a lower average granule size (6.14 μm), amylopectin average chain length (19.7), and B3 chain proportion (10.3 %). Both starches were B-type crystalline, with higher crystallinity (26.3 %) and R1047/1022 (0.74) for YW201501, resulting in large gelatinization enthalpy. In addition, the higher peak viscosity and larger retrogradation degree of YW201501 were correlated to its higher amylose content. In vitro digestibility revealed that the low rapidly digestible starch and high resistant starch of BW201001 were related to the fine structure of starch. YW201501 and BW201001 had a medium glycemic index (62.6–66.0) with potential for processing into healthy starchy foods.

Survey the Crystal Type and Physiochemical properties of Isolated Starch Form Some Iraqi and Imported Genotypes of Corn (Zea Mays) Cultivated in Sulaimani-Iraq

The objective of this study is to conduct a survey comparing ten different genotypes of corn. (zea mays L.) cultivated in Qlyassan research station of College of Agricultural Engineering Science, were to find out the type of crystalline form of starch extracted from studied corn genotypes. There were significant differences between the studied corn genotypes in the chemical composition, especially amylose and amylopectin, in which the amylose range was between 19.935 and 31.095 there were also differences in the mean sizes of the starch granules which was 12.795 to 15.915 m, as well as for Gel consistency, despite of significant differences between corn genotypes starch, all genotypes undergo to soft gel consistency, but all of these were not have affects the type of amyloid crystal, which was type A.

Exploring the effect of raw material properties on continuous twin-screw wet granulation manufacturability

Twin-screw wet granulation (TSWG) stands out as a promising continuous alternative to conventional batch fluid bed- and high shear wet granulation techniques. Despite its potential, the impact of raw material properties on TSWG processability remains inadequately explored. Furthermore, the absence of supportive models for TSWG process development with new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) adds to the challenge. This study tackles these gaps by introducing four partial least squares (PLS) models that approximate both the applicable liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio range and resulting granule attributes (i.e., granule size and friability) based on initial material properties. The first two PLS models link the lowest and highest applicable L/S ratio for TSWG, respectively, with the formulation blend properties. The third and fourth PLS models predict the granule size and friability, respectively, from the starting API properties and applied L/S ratio for twin-screw wet granulation. By analysing the developed PLS models, water-related material properties (e.g., solubility, wettability, dissolution rate), as well as density and flow-related properties (e.g., flow function coefficient), were found to be impacting the TSWG processability. In addition, the applicability of the developed PLS models was evaluated by using them to propose suitable L/S ratio ranges (i.e., resulting in granules with the desired properties) for three new APIs and related formulations followed by an experimental validation thereof. Overall, this study helped to better understand the effect of raw material properties upon TSWG processability. Moreover, the developed PLS models can be used to propose suitable TSWG process settings for new APIs and hence reduce the experimental effort during process development.

Performance and recoverability of microalgal-bacterial granular sludge under weak light-dark conditions

As an emerging process, microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) still has insufficient research under weak light-dark conditions, which is not conducive to its operation in cloudy weathers. Therefore, the performance, characteristics and microbial dynamics of MBGS process were systematically studied under weak light (20 μ mol/m2/s, 12 h)-dark (0 μ mol/m2/s, 12 h) conditions. And further research was conducted to determine whether a normal light intensity (200 μ mol/m2/s) could help to recover the performance and properties of MBGS. The results showed that the effluent dissolved oxygen concentration gradually dropped, with the granule size decreased, and the settling performance deteriorated since the 12nd day to 22nd day. Subsequently, it was observed that the morphology and performance of MBGS could be entirely recovered gradually after the light intensity was adjusted to normal (200 μ mol/m2/s) for the light phase. Furthermore, weak light-dark conditions were found to reduce the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Chlorophyta, but to promote the growth of Rotifera and Cyanobacteria. Specifically, Tychonema was speculated to be the possible cause for the deterioration of the MBGS system. This study is expected to offer theoretical guidance for MBGS operation under light-insufficient conditions.

Extraction,modification and characterization of native litchi seed (Litchi chinesis Sonn.) starch.

Litchi seeds, owing to their high starch content, have the potential to serve as a valuable non-conventional source of starch with versatile applications. This study aimed to optimize the extraction of native litchi seed and its modification using citric acid. Response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal combination of independent variables; extraction temperature (30 - 60 ° C) and extraction time (4-20hours) for the attainment of maximum starch yield (%). Starch was then chemically modified with citric acid concentrations of 20 and 40% to investigate its effect on physicochemical, morphological, and functional properties. The second-order polynomial model effectively described the experimental data, demonstrating a satisfactory fit for the observed results. The optimized condition with the highest starch recovery (212.4 g Kg-1 ) was found to have an extraction temperature of 30° C and an extraction time of 11 hours. It was observed that with an increase in concentration of citric acid has resulted in a decrease in amylose content, swelling power, and solubility, while the water absorption capacity of modified starch increased. The SEM micrographs showed that citric acid modification resulted in surface irregularities, while the shape and size of granules remain unaffected. Not much difference has been observed in the XRD pattern of modified starch except for the decrease in intensities of peaks. An effect on the thermal properties of modified starch was also reported. Results obtained from the study reveal that extraction temperature and extraction time are critical factors, exerting a significant effect on the extraction yield of starch. Furthermore, modified starches with improved functional properties can serve as novel and versatile source of starch in various food and non-food sectors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The neuro-exocrine secretion: A new type of gland in tapeworms?

The phenomenon of exocrine secretion via nervous cells into the host tissue has been discovered in cestodes. In five cestode species of different orders specialized “cup-shaped” free nerve endings located in the tegument have been found. Their ultrastructure is characterized by the presence of a septate junction, a thin support ring and neurosecretory vesicles 90–110 nm in diameter, which are secreted onto the surface of the tegument through a thin pore. The phenomenon is referred to in this article as the neuro-exocrine secretion. We observed a direct relationship between neurosecretory processes in the deep subtegument and free endings in a series of ultrathin sections in two species. The peripheral neurosecretory neurons of species studied are characterized by similar ultrastructural features: size and location; diameter of neurosecretory granules; absence of microtubules and mitochondria in the neurites. The size of neurosecretory granules has been found to decrease from perikaryon towards neurosecretory terminals that lead to the tegument. In two species, we examined the neurosecretion during incubation in the host's blood serum. Depending on the time of incubation we have shown the changes a) in the diameter of the cup-shaped endings, b) in the number of secretory vesicles in the endings; c) changes in number and diameter of neurosecretory vesicles in the processes of neurosecretory neurons in the subtegument. The detected changes differ in D.dendriticus and L.interrupta and, taken together, indirectly confirm the secretory specialization of the cup-shaped endings. Supposed targets for the neurosecretory neurons in the studied cestodes are the following: (a) eccrine frontal gland ducts, especially their terminal regions involved in the release of secretory products; (b) longitudinal and circular muscles in the subtegument region; (c) the basal membrane of the tegument. Besides the discovered secretion vesicles through the cup-shaped terminals, we observed vacuoles derived from the basal membrane of the tegument containing extracellular substances released into the host tissue. Their possible role in the release of neurosecretory substances is discussed. Considering the data acquired via immunocytochemical methods, an assumption about involvement of FMRFamide-like related peptides (FaRPs) in the neuro-exocrine secretion is proposed. Possible functions of the neuro-exocrine secretion are discussed in the context of host-parasite interactions.

The development of a novel apparatus to measure the emissivity of high-roughness materials at 82 K

The emissivity of a material changes with temperature. The knowledge of emissivity plays an important role in the estimation of radiation heat load in cryogenic systems. As the emissivity values of different materials at cryogenic temperatures are scarcely available in the literature, room-temperature emissivity values have been extensively used to estimate the radiation heat load in cryogenic systems. This may lead to a significant deviation between the predicted and actual radiation properties at cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, in the present work, an apparatus is developed based on a calorimetric technique for measuring the emissivity of an opaque material around 82 K. The novelties of the apparatus are its compact size, ease of sample handling, shorter time required to reach thermal equilibrium and, most importantly, capacity to measure the emissivity of a sample of high roughness. To understand the effectiveness of low and high emissivity-coated heat radiators for the system, a theoretical and an experimental approach has been followed. It is found that the high-emissivity heat radiator leads to a significant reduction in the time required to reach thermal equilibrium compared to a low-emissivity heat radiator. To verify and validate this setup, the emissivities of Aeroglaze Z306 (high emissivity) and Cu (low emissivity) are measured and compared with the values reported in the literature. Finally, this work has been extended to measure emissivity at cryogenic temperature for the first time for PU1, SG121FD and indigenously developed novel materials, such as black paints, adhesive and activated charcoals of different granule sizes.

Delta Tecnic reportedly guarantees efficient insulation in the cable industry and impeccable spark test results

On September 28, Delta Tecnic reports that the masterbatch manufacturer reduces the granule size tenfold to achieve better dilution of the masterbatch in the cable compound; 25% of the company's sales are in the automotive industry, where satisfactory spark test results are reportedly more difficult to achieve.

Surgical suction filter-derived bone graft displays osteogenic miRNA and mRNA patterns

PurposeRecently, a surgical suction filter device was introduced which aims at generating a suction filter-derived bone grafting substitute (SF-BGS). The osteogenic capacity of this grafting material, however, is unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and osteogenic mRNAs may influence these processes. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the quality of the SF-BGS by determining the expression of miRNAs and osteogenic mRNAs.MethodsSamples were collected during non-union surgery. Upon exposure of the intramedullary canal, the surgical vacuum system was fitted with the suction filter device containing collagen complex and synthetic β-TCP: (Ca3(PO4)2, granule size 5–8 mm, total volume 10 mL (Cerasorb Foam®, Curasan AG, Kleinostheim, Germany). As a control, venous blood was used as in current clinical practice. Samples were snap-frozen and mechanically disrupted. MiRNAs and mRNAs were isolated, transcribed, and pooled for qPCR analysis. Lastly, mRNA targets were determined through in silico target analyses.ResultsThe study population consisted of seven patients with a posttraumatic long bone non-union (4♀; mean age 54 ± 16 years). From the array data, distinct differences in miRNA expression were found between the SF-BGS and control samples. Osteogenic marker genes were overall upregulated in the SF-BGS. Qiagen IPA software identified 1168 mRNA targets for 43 of the overall deregulated miRNAs.ConclusionThis study revealed distinctly deregulated and exclusively expressed osteogenic miRNAs in SF-BGS, as well as overall enhanced osteogenic marker gene expression, as compared to the venous blood control group. These expression profiles were not seen in control samples, indicating that the derived material displays an osteogenic profile. It may therefore be a promising tool to generate a BGS or graft extender when needed.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) formation in acetate-driven partial denitrification process: Enhancing sludge granulation and phosphorus removal

Partial denitrification/anammox (PD/A) processes have emerged as a promising technology for efficient nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, these processes fail to remove phosphorus (P), a key pollutant that contributes to water eutrophication. To address this issue, the potential of inducing hydroxyapatite (HAP) precipitation in PD processes to achieve simultaneous P removal was investigated for the first time. Specifically, three SBRs (R1-R3) for PD were operated with adding varying concentrations of external Ca (30, 60, and 120 mg/L, respectively). Results demonstrated significant P reduction in all three SBRs, particularly in R3 with high Ca, which achieved an 80 % removal efficiency. Notably, sludge granulation was observed during operation, with the granule size in R3 with high Ca reaching 906.1 μm during the stable period, exceeding those in R2 (788.7 μm) and R1 (707.1 μm). This led to good settle ability of the PD sludge, as demonstrated by the lowest SVI5 (20 mL/g MLSS). Moreover, the decrease in the MLVSS/MLSS ratio suggested that the inorganic content accumulated, as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy in the interior of the granules. Elemental composition analysis suggested that PD granules contained high P and Ca, while the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed the formation of HAP. Overall, this study demonstrated that PD-HAP coupled granular sludge process has potential as a robust and efficient method for nitrite production, as well as effective P removal and recovery, thereby advancing the application of anammox processes in wastewater treatment.

Characteristics variations of size-fractionated anammox granules and identification of the potential effects on these evolutions

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) granulation which contributed to system stabilization and performance improvement has great potential in the field of wastewater nitrogen removal. The researchers fractionated anammox granules into small-size (0.5–0.9 mm), medium-size (1.8–2.2 mm), and large-size (2.8–3.5 mm) categories to examine their properties and mechanisms. Various analyses, including high-throughput sequencing, determination of inorganic elements and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and microbial function prediction, were conducted to characterize these granules and understand their impact. The results revealed distinct characteristics among the different-sized granules. Medium-size granules exhibited the highest sphericity, EPS content, and anammox abundance. In contrast, large-size granules had the highest specific surface area, heme c content, specific anammox activity, biodiversity, and abundance of filamentous bacteria. Furthermore, the precipitates within the granules were identified as CaCO3 and MgCO3, with the highest inorganic element content found in the large-size granules. Microbial community and function annotation also varied with granule size. Based on systematic analysis, the researchers concluded that cell growth, chemical precipitation, EPS secretion, and interspecies interaction all played a role in granulation. Small-size granules were primarily formed through cell growth and biofilm formation. As granule size increased, EPS secretion and chemical precipitation became more influential in the granulation process. In the large-size granules, chemical precipitation and interspecies interaction, including synergistic effects with nitrifying, denitrifying, and filamentous bacteria, as well as metabolic cross-feeding, played significant roles in aggregation. This interplay ultimately contributed to higher anammox activity in the large-size granules. By fully understanding the mechanisms involved in granulation, this study provides valuable insights for the acclimation of anammox granules with optimal sizes under different operational conditions.

Multiphoton microscopy is a nondestructive label-free approach to investigate the 3D structure of gas cell walls in bread dough

During the different steps of bread-making, changes in the microstructure of the dough, particularly in the gas cell walls (GCW), have a major influence on the final bread crumb texture. Investigation of the spatial conformation of GCWs is still a challenge because it requires both high resolutions and 3D depth imaging. The originality of the present work lies in the use of label-free non-destructive multiphoton microscopy (NLOM) to image the 3D structure of GCWs, shedding light on their behavior and organization in wheat bread dough. We demonstrated that second and third harmonic generation (SHG, THG) allow imaging, respectively, of starch granules and interfaces in bread dough, while the gluten matrix was detected via two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF). Last, a distinction between the gluten network and starch granules was achieved using gluten endogenous fluorescence (EF) imaging, while the position, size, and 3D orientation of starch granules in GCWs were determined from harmonic imaging, made possible by the acquisition of backward and forward SHG with linear polarization. These innovative experiments highlight the strengths of NLOM for a label-free characterization of bread dough microstructure for the first time, in order to understand the role of starch granules in dough stabilization.

Multi-Sized Granular Suspension Transport Modeling for the Control of Lost Circulation and Formation Damage in Fractured Oil and Gas Reservoirs

Transport and retention of multi-sized suspended granules are common phenomena in fracture media of oil, gas and geothermal reservoirs. It can lead to severe permeability damage and productivity decline, which has a significant impact on the efficient development of underground resources. However, the granule transport and retention behaviors remain not well understood and quantified. The novel stochastic model is proposed for the multi-sized suspended granule transport in naturally fractured reservoirs accounting for granule retention and fracture clogging kinetics. A percolation fracture network is proposed considering fracture connectivity evolution during suspended granule transport. Granule retention and fracture clogging dynamics equations are proposed to account for incomplete fracture clogging by retained granules. The microscale stochastic model is allowed for upscaling to predict the multi-sized granule transport behavior in naturally fractured reservoirs. The model solution exhibits preferential plugging of fractures with sizes equal to or below the granule size. Multi-sized suspended granule shows great advantages over mono-sized suspended granule in the control of permeability damage induced by granule retention and fracture clogging. The retained granule concentration and permeability damage rate decrease with fracture network connectivity improvement. The experimental investigation on size-exclusion suspended granule flow has been performed. The model-based prediction of the retained granule concentration and permeability variation history shows good agreement with the experimental data, which verifies the developed model.

Glyceryl Laurate Tablets: Effect of the Excipients and Granule Size on the Tablet Quality

Abstract Glyceryl laurate (GL) is a natural or synthetic surfactant with antiviral and antimicrobial activity and is not only effective in common colds or flu, but also against swine flu, herpes simplex, shingles, or chronic fatigue. The study aimed to formulate the GL granules as a semi-product for the compression of tablets and evaluate the influence of the substitution of sucrose laurate (Ryoto®) with sucrose ester (Sisterna®) in the composition of the granules and the effect of granule size on the quality of the compressed tablets. Four types of granules, varying in grain size and the type of additional surfactant, were prepared by melt granulation. The traditional pharmacopoeia tests were used to assess tablets’ quality. The granule size significantly affected all evaluated parameters: hardness, uniformity of mass, friability, and disintegration. The replacement of sucrose laurate with sucrose ester caused a slight decrease in tablet strength and a shortening of disintegration. However, it did not significantly impact friability and uniformity of mass. For this reason, the excipient, sucrose ester, can be evaluated as an adequate replacement in the composition of GL tablets.