Texture analysis as a tool to study the kinetics of wet agglomeration processes

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Materials Science
• Process Analytical Technology

Background:

• Wet granulation is a critical unit operation in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Monitoring granulation kinetics and binder effects is essential for process control.
• Traditional methods for granule analysis can be time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel analytical tool for monitoring wet granulation.
• To utilize surface texture analysis for real-time process monitoring.
• To investigate the kinetics of granulation and the impact of liquid binder amount.

Main Methods:

• Performed wet granulation experiments in a planetary mixer.
• Employed surface texture analysis to monitor formulation evolution.
• Collected data on granulation kinetics and liquid binder effects.
• Compared texture analysis results with particle size distribution from sieving analysis.

Main Results:

• Surface texture analysis successfully monitored the granulation process from start to finish.
• A strong agreement was consistently found between texture analysis and particle size distribution.
• The developed method demonstrated robustness for process monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Surface texture analysis is a viable and robust tool for monitoring wet granulation.
• The technique provides valuable insights into granulation kinetics and binder effects.
• Further application of this method for detailed rate process analysis is recommended.