New indices to characterize powder flow based on their avalanching behavior

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional methods for assessing pharmaceutical excipient flow properties, such as compressibility, shear cell, and repose angle measurements, are widely used but have limitations.
• These conventional methods can yield variable results due to experimental and environmental conditions, impacting reliability.
• Powder avalanche analysis presents a simpler, more reliable alternative for flow property assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce two novel indices, the avalanche flow index (AFI) and cohesive interaction index (CoI), derived from powder avalanche behaviors.
• To demonstrate the utility of these indices in characterizing powder flow and quantifying cohesive interactions.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing powder avalanche phenomena to study the flow properties of pharmaceutical excipients.
• Developing and applying the avalanche flow index (AFI) and cohesive interaction index (CoI) based on observed avalanche flow behaviors.

Main Results:

• The proposed avalanche flow index (AFI) effectively describes the ease of powder flow.
• The cohesive interaction index (CoI) provides a straightforward method for quantifying cohesive interactions within powders.
• Both indices offer reliable quantification without complex mathematical formulations.

Conclusions:

• Powder avalanche analysis is a valuable, underutilized technique for evaluating pharmaceutical excipient flow.
• The newly developed AFI and CoI indices offer simple, reliable, and quantitative measures of powder flowability and cohesion.
• These indices can enhance the understanding and control of powder behavior in pharmaceutical manufacturing.