Evaluation of surface and bulk characteristics of cellulose I powders in relation to compaction behavior and tablet properties.

The particle properties and solid-state characteristics of two celluloses, Avicel PH101 and cellulose obtained from the alga Cladophora sp., were evaluated and related to the compaction behavior and the properties of the tablets made from them. The surface area of the celluloses was measured at different levels of penetration capacity, ranging from external surface area of particles to molecular texture with Blaine permeametry, Kr-gasadsorption, and solid-state NMR. The important cellulose fibril surface area was best reflected by solid-state NMR, although for the Cladophora cellulose, Kr-gas adsorption also resulted in a surface area of the order of what has been suggested earlier on the basis of the cellulose fibril dimensions. The difference in fibril dimension and, thereby, the fibril surface area of the two celluloses was shown to be the primary factor in determining their properties and behavior. Properties such as the crystallinity and the tablet disintegration could be related to the fibril dimensions. The Cladophora cellulose resulted in rather strong compacts that still disintegrated rapidly. The irregular surface morphology of the particles and the fragmenting behavior of Cladophora probably contributed to the strength of the tablets.

Characteristics of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose influencing compactibility and prediction of particle and tablet properties by infrared spectroscopy.

Particle characteristics, chemical substitution, compaction behavior, and tablet properties of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose powders from two different suppliers were related using multivariate data analysis. By Principal Component Analysis it was shown that the the degree of substitution of the HPMC powders did not correlate to the particle and compaction properties as strongly as anticipated. Particle shape and powder surface area seem to be more important for the compaction behaviour of the powders than the degree of substitution. In addition, particle and tablet properties were predicted from infrared spectral data. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and near infrared (NIR) spectral data of the powders were combined with measured values of the particle characteristics, compaction behavior, and tablet properties using the multivariate data analysis program SIMCA 7.1. Properties like density, particle shape, tablet tensile strength, and drug release characteristics of the HPMC powders and corresponding tablets in this study could be predicted using Partial Least Squares models. In conclusion, the particle shape and powder surface area of HPMC powders seem to be important factors for the quality of tablet attained. Further, this study confirms that NIR and FTIR analysis used in combination with multivariate analysis are powerful tools for predicting the properties of materials and the quality of the end product.