CHARACTERIZATION OF

GRANULES
 Characteristics of granules
1) Particle Morphology
• Optical microscopy
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
2) Particle Size Distribution
• Sieve analysis
3) MOISTURE CONTENT IN GRANULES
• Moisture Content Is Generally Measured Using Moisture Analyzer
4) GRANULES FLOWABILITY & DENSITY
• Specific volume
• Carr’s index (higher the compressibility, poor the flowability and vice versa)
• Flow through orifice
• Angle of repose
 Conti….
5) GRANULE STRENGTH:
Granules strength is measured by
• CRUSHING TEST
• The force required to crush the granule is recorded when a plate is moved at a constant strain rate.
• Deflections In the load profile are interpreted as break points
• The strength is recorded in units of mass or force.
• FRIABILITY OF GRANULES:
• In this measurement, friabilator is charged with granules & rotated
• The percentage loss of mass represent granule Friability.
6) SURFACE AREA:
• The surface area of a granules affect the dissolution rate of a solid, it can be measured by
• GAS ADSORPTION:
• In this method an inert gas (N2) is adsorbed onto the surface of a solid at low temperature, this gas is then desorbed at
room temperature.
• The Volume Of Gas Adsorbed In a monolayer on the solid is then converted to surface area
• AIR PERMEABILITY :
• A column packed with granules is subjected to a stream of air. and the pressure drop is measured across the bed.
• Although this method has not been extensively used on granulations but it has been applied to compressed tablets.
 Conti…..
8) ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE:
• Static Charge on granule surfaces Can Cause Significant Problems In
Powder Handling.
MEASUREMENT
• The powder is allowed to flow out of a hopper onto a glass
receptacle, directly beneath this receptacle is a copper disk that is
attached to another copper disk beneath an ionostat.
• The Ionostat Records Voltage Transmitted By The first Disk.
• the improved flow results in the reduction of electrostatic charge and
vice versa