Tim O. Althaus

Roller compaction: Effect of morphology and amorphous content of lactose powder on product quality

The effect of morphology and amorphous content, of three types of lactose, on the properties of ribbon produced using roller compaction was investigated. The three types of lactose powders were; anhydrous SuperTab21AN, α-lactose monohydrate 200 M, and spray dried lactose SuperTab11SD. The morphology of the primary particles was identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the powder amorphous content was quantified using NIR technique. SEM images showed that 21AN and SD are agglomerated type of lactose whereas the 200 M is a non-agglomerated type. During ribbon production, an online thermal imaging technique was used to monitor the surface temperature of the ribbon. It was found that the morphology and the amorphous content of lactose powders have significant effects on the roller compaction behaviour and on ribbon properties. The agglomerated types of lactose produced ribbon with higher surface temperature and tensile strength, larger fragment size, lower porosity and lesser fines percentages than the non-agglomerated type of lactose. The lactose powder with the highest amorphous content showed to result in a better binding ability between the primary particles. This type of lactose produced ribbons with the highest temperature and tensile strength, and the lowest porosity and amount of fines in the product. It also produced ribbon with more smooth surfaces in comparison to the other two types of lactose. It was noticed that there is a relationship between the surface temperature of the ribbon during production and the tensile strength of the ribbon; the higher the temperature of the ribbon during production the higher the tensile strength of the ribbon.

A micromanipulation particle tester for agglomeration contact mechanism studies in a controlled environment

Pressure agglomeration of powders is widely applied in various industries and an increasing interest lies in the identification and description of contact mechanisms between particles, which are responsible for the compaction product properties. In this paper, the design and development of a novel micromanipulation particle tester (MPT) is presented. This device makes it possible to measure the deformation kinetics and resulting adhesion of two individual particles in contact under load, which are strongly influenced by the applied process conditions. The MPT set-up is, therefore, designed to offer a unique control over the process conditions most relevant to the compaction of powders: external stress, dwell or holding time at constant deformation, compression velocity as well as relative humidity and temperature determining the physical state and mechanical characteristics of hygrosensitive amorphous particles. The latter are often part of powder formulations, e.g. in the food industry, and have been used for force and contact-zone development studies with the MPT. The experimental results on the microscale level will deliver valuable quantitative information for an improved tailoring of pressure agglomeration process conditions of bulk solids.