A STUDY OF COMPRESSION DIE DESIGN ON THE COMPACTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL POWDER

Abstract

Tablet quality can be affected by feed material, process parameters, equipment configuration and tooling design. Tableting die is part of the compaction tooling and determines tablet size and shape. Dies with modified designs could potentially address tablet compaction issues, such as low tensile strength and elastic recovery, without the need for formulation changes or reduction in production efficiency. While previous research has been centred around punches, the influence of die modifications on tablet properties is less understood. The key focus of this research project is to investigate the impact of die diameter, die lining material and die tapering configurations on tablet compaction. Tablets from various materials with different deformation characteristics using a compaction simulator. In-depth analyses of the resulting compaction profiles and tablet physicomechanical properties were performed. Findings from this study could aid in the selection of appropriate die designs to mitigate compaction issues during tablet production.