Studies on the influence of high-shear granulation process on the compressibility of microcrystalline cellulose

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a diluent for oral solid dosage forms. The wet granulation process was selected to prepare losartan potassium tablets using MCC as a model for a predictive study. It was found that the hardness of the tablets could not satisfy the quality standards. In this study, the effect of the high-shear granulation process on the compressibility of MCC was characterized by plotting the compression characteristics curve, as well as the mechanism of the effect from the perspectives of mechanical properties, powder properties. The solid-state properties were also analyzed. Combined with the Heckel equation, the Ryshkewitch-Duckworth equation, the energy method, PXRD, SEM, and other evaluation methods, the results suggest that the high-shear granulation process reduced the compressibility of MCC, which may be caused by the reduced plastic deformation capacity of MCC and the change of the particle morphology structure. The method applied in this study can also be applied to other excipients, which is an important guideline for solving possible problems and process selections during the preparation stage of solid formulations.