Flowability, powder properties

The classification system introduced by Carr [29,30] was used to evaluate the flow properties of the sorbitol powders. In Carr s system, a flowable powder is defined as free flowing and will tend to flow steadily and consistently. This is to be contrasted with a floodable powder, which will exhibit an unstable, discontinuous, and gushing type of flow. The parameters in Carr s system include the angle of repose, angle of spatula, compressibility, cohesion, and dispersibility. Based on these parameters, flowability and floodability indices are calculated to determine the handling properties of bulk solids. 

Particle shape is a fundamental powder property affecting powder packing and thus bulk density, porosity, permeability, cohesion, flowability, caking behavior [6] attrition, interaction with fluids and the covering power of pigments, although little quantitative work has been carried out on these relationships. Davies [7] gives other examples where information on shape is needed to describe powder behavior. 

The reader is also referred to the use of the Hausner ratio to describe flowability, described in Section 5.2. As most other powder properties, flowability is greatly affected by humidity. 

There are many of empirical instruments which may measure bulk powder characteristics, which affects the behaviour of powders in processing plants. And some of these empirical laboratory instruments have now been commercialised. However, the sophistication of instrumentation available for the measurement of bulk powder properties in real time is not as advanced as the instruments currently used to measure particle size on a micro- or nano-scale. The phenomenon of flow of a powder out of any orifice or from a specified piece of process plant equipment should be unambiguously termed rate of powder flow and not confused with the bulk powder property of flowability which can be used discriminate the handabil-ity of bulk powders and may eventually contribute to enhance the rate of powder flow. 

The common definition of flowabihty is the ability of a powder to flow from a specific item of plant equipment at a desired degree of flowability. Flowability is generally quantified by a range of mobility, from free flow to non-flow which can, at times, be measured in a laboratory with specific flow property instrumentation. A bulk powder may be described as being free flowing, cohesive or non-flowing, and thus powder flowability tends to become an integral part of the description of bulk powder property measurement. Correlations between powder bulk properties in terms of both micro-scaled particulate factors as well as macro-... 

The largest category of bulk powder behaviour, expressed in the terms of the three-dimensional parameters, is either a mass-time or a volume-time relationship. This category measures the rate of discharge from orifices, as opposed to the bulk powder properties of flowability and/or floodability of powders (Table 1.1). 

In the pharmaceutical industry, surface area is becoming more important in the characterization of materials during development, formulation, and manufacturing. The surface area of a solid material provides information about the void spaces on the surfaces of individual particles or aggregates of particles [5], This becomes important because factors such as chemical activity, adsorption, dissolution, and bioavailability of the drug may depend on the surface on the solid [3,5]. Handling properties of materials, such as flowability of a powder, can also be related to particle size and surface area [4],... 

Compressibility is indirectly related to the relative flow rate, cohesiveness, and particle size of a powder. A compressible material will be less flowable, and powders with compressibility values greater than 20-21% have been found to exhibit poor flow properties [69]. 

Agricultural (Ag) formulations that are commonly diluted and applied by means of spray equipment include water soluble liquids, emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, and flowable suspensions. The choice of which formulation to develop normally depends upon the solubility properties of the technical pesticide. Scientists often must also consider manufacturing costs, field efficacy and product toxicity. 

As for the three required properties for manufacture (i.e., flowability, cohesiveness, and lubrication), most of the drug substance in the pharmaceutical industry do not exhibit them. The two methods by which one may impart these characteristics to the final powder mixture are ... 

The onset of powder motion in a hopper is due to stress failure in powders. Hence, the study of a hopper flow is closely related to the understanding of stress distribution in a hopper. The cross-sectional averaged stress distribution of solids in a cylindrical column was first studied by Janssen (1895). Walker (1966) and Walters (1973) extended Janssen s analysis to conical hoppers. The local distributions of static stresses of powders can only be obtained by solving the equations of equilibrium. From stress analyses and suitable failure criteria, the rupture locations in granular materials can be predicted. As a result, the flowability of granular materials in a hopper depends on the internal stress distributions determined by the geometry of the hopper and the material properties of the solids. 

Anhydrous lactose is a free-flowing crystalline /3-lactose without water of hydration, first described in the literature in 1966.33 It is available in a white crystalline powder that has good flowability and high compactibility. Anhydrous lactose can be reworked or milled, resulting in a smaller loss of compactibility than with other forms of lactose (due to its high fragmentation propensity). Table 7.4 lists the physical properties of the product. The product is very suitable for moisture-sensitive chug formulations. 

Microcrystalline Cellulose. Microcrystalline cellulose is a purified, partially depolymerized cellulose that occurs as a white, odorless, tasteless, crystalline powder composed of porous particles. It is widely used in pharmaceutical dosage forms, primarily as a filler-binder in oral tablets and capsules with both wet granulation and direct compression processes. Microcrystalline cellulose was marketed first in 1964 by the FMC Corporation under name Avicel PH in four different particle size grades, each with different properties.37 Addition of Avicel into a spray-dried lactose-based formulation overcame compressibility problems. At the same time, the lactose enhanced the flowability of the Avicel products available at that time. The direct compression tableting process became a reality, rather than a concept, partially because of the availability of Avicel. As of 2007, Avicel PH is commercially available in 10 types with different particle size, density, and moisture grades that have different properties and applications (Table 7.6).38 Other brands of microcrystalline cellulose are also available on the pharmaceutical market, including Pharmacel 101 and 102 from DMV International and Emcocel 50 M and 90 M from JRS Pharma. 

For a two-level factorial design, only two excipients can be selected for each factor. However, for the filler-binder, a combination of brittle and plastic materials is preferred for optimum compaction properties. Therefore, different combinations such as lactose with MCC or mannitol with starch can count as a single factor. Experimental responses can be powder blend flowability, compactibility, blend uniformity, uniformity of dose unit, dissolution, disintegration, and stability under stressed storage conditions. The major advantage of using a DOE to screen prototype formulations is that it allows evaluation of all potential factors simultaneously, systematically, and efficiently. It helps the scientist understand the effect of each formulation factor on each response, as well as potential interaction between factors. It also helps the scientist identify the critical factors based on statistical analysis. DOE results can define a prototype formulation that will meet the predefined requirements for product performance stability and manufacturing. 

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