Small-Scale Modeling of Pharmaceutical Powder Compression from Tap Density Testers, to Roller Compactors, and to the Tablet Press Using Big Data
Introduction
Roller compaction is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry to improve powder flow and compositional uniformity. The process produces ribbons which are milled into granules. The ribbon solid fraction (SF) can affect both the granule size and the tensile strength of downstream tablets. Roll force, which is directly related to the applied stress on the powder in the nip region, is typically the most dominant process parameter controlling the ribbon solid fraction. This work is an extension of a previous study, leveraging mathematical modeling as part of a Quality by Design development strategy (Powder Technology, 2011, 213: 1–13).