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Paper Abstract for the 13th Arden House European Conference 2008: Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London
31 March – 2 April 2008
Predicting process behaviour of particulate materials through the measurement of
bulk, flow and shear properties
T.C. Freeman
Freeman Technology Ltd., Boulters Farm Centre, Castlemorton Common, Welland, Worcestershire, WR13 6LE, UK
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Some of the earliest recorded uses of powder date back to around 30,000 BC when red ochre powders were used as the main pigment in cave paintings. Since these early days, their versatile properties have made powders increasingly popular and they have now found application in most industries.
In relatively modern times, the pharmaceutical industry has utilised powders to great affect with a significant proportion of products involving powder either directly or at some stage during the manufacturing process.
In our current climate, which dictates that efficiency and quality are right at the top of the list, it is essential to reduce time to market without compromising quality and yield during process.
Traditionally, pharmaceutical manufacturing has relied heavily on the vast experience of their engineers to optimise the process and problems are often overcome through knowledge based on previous experiences. However, there are now technologies available that can assist the industry in predicting the behaviour of powders in each of the many processes employed.
This presentation illustrates how recent developments in powder characterisation allows process engineers to predict how a material will behave during process and how best to configure equipment settings for optimal powder / process compatibility. Furthermore, it will also demonstrate how this information can then be fed back in at the development stage to provide processability specifications and hence allow for "Quality by Design".
