Non-dispersive impact technology for powder flow characterization
This study developed a tester where the powder flow was characterized using a low sample mass (2 g) and impact instead of dispersion mechanism to mitigate test space constraint. An impact chamber was established where the test powder bed of seven lactose grades was weight-impacted to produce impact crater and ejecta, and imaged quantitatively to determine crater profiling signature (crater depth), regional topography (ejecta roughness), Otsu threshold (bed continuity) and edge segmentation (bed deformation).
Highlights
Powder bed is impacted to create flow without particle dispersion.
Crater signature and regional topography are imaged quantitatively.
These flow indicators are correlatable to dispersive flow/density test outcomes.
Only a low sample mass (2 g) instead of 9 g or more with dispersive technique.
Non-dispersive test nature mitigates excessive space requirement.
The Hausner ratio (HR) and Carr’s index (CI) values of lactose, and their powder dispersion distance and surface area characteristics evaluated by gas-pressurized dispersibility test were examined as reference method. The crater signature profiling and regional topography were correlated to HR, CI, dispersive distance and surface area. A poorer powder flow was characterized by higher values of crater signature profiling, regional topography, HR, CI, and lower dispersive distance and surface area.
The crater signature profiling and regional topography values were higher with smaller and rougher lactose particles that were cohesive. The powder impact flow is a viable non-dispersive approach to characterize powder flowability using a small sample mass and test space.
Article information: Ainnur Marlyana Abd Majid, Mohd Hezri Fazalul Rahiman, Tin Wui Wong. Non-dispersive impact technology for powder flow characterization, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 605, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120786.