Hard gelatine capsules: DEM supported experimental study of particle arrangement effect on properties and vibrational transport behaviour

Hard gelatine capsules remain a relevant dosage form for today’s pharmaceutical manufacturing. A wide range of colour and print options supports marketing, brand image and patient loyalty. However, the filling of these capsules with various modern dosage forms and combinations thereof may affect their further processing. Therefore, a detailed study was carried out to assess the effect of mechanical-physical properties on the behaviour of differently filled hard gelatine capsules.

Highlights

• Different arrangements of multiparticulates in capsules are presented.

• The capsule imbalance causes an increase in the angle of internal friction.

• The capsule imbalance affects their transport.

• Vibration increase unified the process behaviour of significantly different samples.

• Vibrational transport of hard gelatin capsules is simulated by DEM.

Capsules filled with powder, free or fixed particles presenting drug microforms and also hard gelatine capsules themselves were evaluated. Basic mechanical-physical characterisation was performed on all samples. Furthermore, their transport on the vibrating conveyor was assessed and simulated using DEM. The results showed a significant influence mainly by the degree of capsule imbalance, i.e., the arrangement of particles in the capsule. It was found that the hard gelatine capsules showed an average of 15.6° lower values for the effective angle of internal friction compared to the powdered vitamin mixture, and in parallel, an average of 14.7° lower values for the static angle of repose were also recorded. The results of the experiments on the vibrating conveyor at a frequency setting of 15 Hz showed three times longer transport time for the vitamin mixture compared to the capsules. Increasing the frequency evened out these differences.

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About this article: Lucie Jezerska, Rostislav Prokes, Daniel Gelnar, Jiri Zegzulka, Hard gelatine capsules: DEM supported experimental study of particle arrangement effect on properties and vibrational transport behaviour, Powder Technology, 2022, 117525, ISSN 0032-5910, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117525 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032591022004193)