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Tablet and Capsules PDF
Tablet and Capsules PDF
n Consolidation
Increased mechanical strength
due to interparticulate
interactions
Stages of Compression
Single-Ended Compression
Elastic limit
exceeded
Rearrangement Plastic
Deformation
(and/or
viscous flow)
Brittle
Fracture
The Role of the Compressive
Force...
n Is primarily to bring the adjacent particulate
surfaces together so that forces active active at
surfaces may form lasting linkages.
Interparticle forces are weak and only significant if the
particles are touching one another or very close
van der Waals
H-bonding
The mechanical strength (e.g. hardness) is a
function of the nature of the attractive forces and
the area over which they act.
Compactibility is...
n The ease with which mechanically strong tablets
can be made.
Tablet mechanical strength may be measured by...
Hardness (Breaking strength)
Friability (Resistance to abrasion and chipping)
Friabilator
Drop
Fixed
F
Compaction Profiles of Some Direct
Compression Fillers
(0.75% magnesium stearate)
Avicel PH 101
(microcrystalline cellulose)
microcrystalline cellulose
12
Emcompress
Hardness ( kg )
8 (dicalc. phosph.
dihydrate, unmilled)
Dipac
(coprocessed sucrose)
4
Starch 1500
(pregelatinized starch)
0
200 900 1600
Compression Force ( kg )
Tablet Ejection and Ejection Force
Fr
N
RDWF RDWF
Fr = N
EF
n Magnesium stearate
n Stearic Acid
The structure formed must be
strong enough to withstand the
stresses of decompression,
as well as those induced by
ejection.
Capping Lamination
Upper Punch
Lower Punch
Examples of Tooling
View of Punch Train
High Speed Production Rotary
Tablet Press
55 stations
495,000 tabs/hour
Compressed Tablets as a Dosage Form
n Ease of Administration and Patient Acceptance
Swallowing
Size
Coating
Chewable Formulations
Elegence
n Convenience/Compactness
n Accurate Dosage
n Stability
Compressed Tablets as a Dosage Form
(continued)
lControl of Release Possible
n Delayed Release
n Extended Release
IR DOSE
ER CORE
Barrier IR DOSE
IR DOSE Coating
ER CORE Barrier
Coated
IR DOSE Beads
What can go wrong?
n Problems in attaining acceptable content
uniformity (accuracy and precision of unit dose
content) for low dose drugs.
n Large dose drugs usually lack the properties to
malformulation)
Design and Formulation of
Compressed Tablets (IR)
n Minumum running characteristics
Compactibility
Fluidity
Lubricity
n Direct Compression
Simply mix and compress.
Choice of Method Depends on
Several Factors
n Size of Dose
n Compactibility and/or Fluidity of Drug
lubricant
n Can help fluidity by adding a glidant
disintegrant
General Formula for a Direct
Compression Tablet
DRUG 1 PART
FILLER-BINDER 2 - 3+ PARTS
DISINTEGRANT
STARCH 10 - 20%
OR
SUPER DISINT. 2 - 5%
GLIDANT
COLLOIDAL SILICA 0.5 - 1%
LUBRICANT
MAG. STEARATE 0.5 - 1%
Advantages of Direct
Compression over Granulation
n More economical (less time, space, materials,
personnel, fewer steps)
n Avoids heat and moisture of wet granulation
Disintegration
DC Primary Particles
Disint. Deaggregation
Gran Granules Primary Particles
Disadvantages of Direct
Compression
n Problem of content uniformity for low dose drugs
n Not practical for large dose poorly
filler-binder
Generally, direct compression
Filler-Binders are common fillers
that have been physically
modified.
Examples of Direct Compression
Filler-Binders
n Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC)
(isolated from cellulose fibers by acid hydrolysis)
[Avicel]
Most compactible material available for
pharmaceutical use
When made from mostly MCC, tablets self-
disintegrate and require little lubricant.
n Spray processed lactose [Fast Flo Lactose]
minigranulation of lactose crystals glued together
by small amount amorphous lactose
Examples of Direct Compression
Filler-Binders
n Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, unmilled [Ditab,
Emcompress]
minigranules made up of agglomerated crystallites
n Spray processesd sucrose [Dipac]
Used in chewable tablets
minigranulation of sugar crystals "glued" together
with amorphous dextrins
When Direct Compression Is Not
Practical*...
n Granulate
Granulation is a size enlargement process:
Improves Flowability
Addition of a BINDER that "glues " the particles
together into granules helps to hold the overall
tablet together: Improves Compactibility
Anhydrous Lactose
Purified Water 21.9
Lactose Monohydrate
Purified Water 12.4
Dicalcium Phosphate, Dihydrate
0.1M HCl 6.27
0.01M HCl - 0.90
Anhydrous Dicalcium Phosphate
0.1M HCl 5.37
0.01M HCl - 0.69
Calcium sulfate dihydrate
0.1M HCl 1.15
0.01M HCl 0.75
A.D. Koparkar, L.L. Augsburger, and R.F. Shangraw. Intrinsic dissolution rates of tablet filler-binders
and their influence on the dissolution of drugs from tablet formulation. Pharm Res 7: 80-86, 1990.
LUBRICANTS
The Three Lubricant Roles
n True Lubricant Role
Reducing friction between sliding surfaces,
traditionally at the tablet-die wall interface during
tablet formation and ejection. Also applies to
capsule plugs.
n Antiadhesion Role
Preventing sticking to surfaces, e.g., the faces of
tablet punches, capsule tamping pins.
n Glidant Role
Improving flow by modifying the interaction
between particles
Lubricants
In a general sense
increase their Nw
The effect can be equivalent to adding too
much lubricant!
Laminar Structure of
Magnesium Stearate
Some Lubricant Issues
(continued)
n Lubricants are always added last after all other
components have been thoroughly mixed.
Mixing time of 2-5 minutes
n Water soluble lubricants are not nearly as
effective as the hydrophobic lubricants.
Used when a tablet must be completely water
soluble (e.g., effervescent tablets)
Examples: DL Leucine, sodium benzoate,
polyethylene glycol 8000
Glidants
n Usually added to enhance the flowability of direct
compression mixtures.
n There is an optimim concentration at which flow
is best
Usually <1% and often 0.25 - 0.5% for the
colloidal silicas
The optimimum concentration is related to the
amount needed to just coat the bulk powder
particles
n Higher concentrations may be needed to correct
serious adhesion (sticking) to punch faces.
Effect of Concentration of Glidant
on Flow Rate
Effect of Glidant on the Flowability of Microcrystalline
Cellulose
140
Flow Rate (g/min)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Percent Cab-O-Sil
ON
RATI
INTEG
DIS DISINTEGRATION
PRIMARY
DRUG
DEAGGREGATION
PARTICLES GRANULES
DRUG IN SOLUTION
Disintegrant Mechanisms
n All disintegrants are hygroscopic and draw liquid
into the matrix ("liquid uptake" or "wicking
action").
May generate a hydrostatic pressure.
n As they sorb liquid, they may:
Swell extensively (Sodium Starch Glycolate, NF)
Recover shape with little swelling (Crospovidone,
NF; Starch, NF)
Swell radially and straighten out [fibrous material]
(Croscarmellose Sodium, NF)
Disintegrant Mechanism
(continued)
n Together, these phenomena create a
disintegrating force within the matrix
DC: 1-3%
Wet Granulation: 2-4%
n Crospovidone*
2-4%
n Sodium Starch Glycolate*
4-6%
___________________
* "Super-Disintegrants"
Porosity
Compression Force
An optimum porosity for best disintegration
Theoretical Representation of the
Relationship Between Disintegrant Swelling
and Bed Porosity
Do
D1
D2
n Easily swallowed
n Elegant
Hard Gelatin vs Soft Gelatin
"Softgels" Capsules
Criterion Soft gelatin Hard Gelatin
Capsules Capsules
Shell Plasticized (glycerin, Not plasticized
propylene glycol,
sorbitol)
Content Usually liquids or Usually dry solids
suspensions (dry (liquids/semi-solid
solids possible) matrices possible)
others)
on a case-by-case basis.
n Concern over maintaining proper shell moisture
content.
Shell should have moisture content of 13-15%
If too dry become brittle/easily fractured
It to moist become too soft and can get sticky
Unprotected capsules are best stored at 45-65%RH.
Caution using strongly hygroscopic drugs.
n Cross-linking [can affect soft gelatin capsules, hard
gelatin capsules, gelatin coated tablets]
Sizes and Approximate Capacities
Size 000 00 el 00 0 el 0 1 2 3 4 5
Volume 1.37 1.02 0.91 0.78 0.68 0.50 0.37 0.30 0.21 0.10
(mL)
Capacity 1096 816 728 624 544 400 296 240 168 104
(mg) at
packing
density =
0.8 g/mL
000
DB 3
Capsule
Composition of Hard Gelatin
Shells
n Gelatin
Bone Gelatin (Type B)
Skin Gelatin (Type A)
n Water
n Dyes and Other Colorants
n Preservative
Most important properties of gelatin
n Bloom strength
A measure of relevance to cohesive strength of
gelatin film
Typically 150-280 "bloom-grams"
The weight in g required to depress a plunger
12.7 mm diameter 4 mm into a 6.67% gel held
for 17 hours at 10 degrees (O.T. Bloom, 1925)
n Viscosity
Single most important factor controlling shell
thickness
Capillary viscometer; 6.67% soln.
Typical range 25-45 millipoise.
The Dipping Process of Making
Hard Gelatin Capsules
n Manufacturers
in N. Amer.
Shionogi Qualicaps
Capsugel div.Pfizer
Pharmaphil (Canada)
Sealing and Positive Closure
n Reasons/Need
Tamper resistance/tamper evidence
Prevents inadvertent separation on
handling/shipping
Makes liquid/semi-solid filling of hard gelatin
capsules possible
Sealed capsules are excellent barriers to O2
Mechanically Interlocking Caps
and Bodies
n Interlocking rings or bumps molded into the cap
and body side-walls
Posilok (Shionogi)
Snap-Fit and Coni-snap (Capsugel)
Lox-it (Pharmaphil)
Mechanical Interlock - Snap-
Fit (Capsugel)
36,000 caps/hr
Dosing Disc Principle
Bosch
GKF 1500
Dosing Disc
Machine
90,000/hr
Factors Affecting Drug
Dissolution From Hard Gelatin
Capsules
n Overall Dissolution Rate is a Function of:
Dissolution Rate of the Shell
Rate of Penetration of Dissolution Medium
Rate of Deaggregation of Powder Mass
Nature of Primary Drug Particles
n Possible incompatibilities
Classic example: Tetracycline formulated with calcium
phosphate.
Interesting Case History
(Tyrer et al.)
Lubricants
n Glidants (colloidal silicas such as Cab-O-Sil)
Optimum concentration generally <1%, typically
0.25-50%.
n True Lubricants and Antiadherents (e.g. metallic
stearates, stearic acid)
Best lubricants are hydrophobic
Increasing concentrations usually retard
dissolution.
Blending time an issue with laminar lubricants.
l Avoid overmixing
Effect is exacerebated at higher degrees of
compaction.
Combined Effect of Magnesium
Stearate and Compaction
0% Mag. 5% Mag.
Stearate Stearate
Dense
Packing
manufacture
n Possible reduced gastric irritancy compared to
Seam
Disadvantages of Soft Gelatin
Capsules
n Generally, product is contracted out to a limited
number of specialty houses,e.g. Scherer, Banner.
n Generally more costly to produce than tablets or
(Cause cross-linking)
n Contents must flow under gravity at
< 35 degrees
Most Soft Gelatin Capsules are
Made Using a Rotary Die Process
n Original Rotary Die Process (R.P. Scherer: 1933)
Only for pumpable fills
n Accogel Process (Stern Machine) - Lederle: 1948
A rotary die process for filling powders, granules
into soft gelatin capsules
Rotary Die Process
3 1
6 1. Gelatin ribbon
2. Rotary die
3. Filling Wedge
4. Filled capsule
2
5. Webbing
6. Pumping
4 mechanism
5
Rotary Die
process