Stress relaxation study of fillers for directly compressed tablets

It is possible to assess viscoelastic properties of materials by means of the stress relaxation test. This method records the decrease in pressing power in a tablet at its constant height. The cited method was used to evaluate the time-dependent deformation for six various materials: microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose powder, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, mannitol, lactose monohydrate, and hydrogen phosphate monohydrate. The decrease in pressing powering of a tablet during a 180 s period was described mathematically by the parameters of three exponential equations, where the whole course of the stress relaxation is divided into three individual processes (instant elastic deformation, retarded elastic deformation and permanent plastic deformation). Three values of the moduli of plasticity and elasticity were calculated for each compound. The values of elastic parameters A_Ti have a strong relationship with bulk density. The plastic parameters P_Ti represent particle tendency to form bonds. The values of plasticity in the third process P_T3 ranged from 400 to 600 MPas. Mannitol had higher plasticity and lactose monohydrate on the contrary reduced plasticity. A linear relation exists between A_T3 and P_T3 for the third process. No similar interpretation of moduli calculated on the basis of three exponential equations has been realized yet.