Powder compaction is widely used to produce pharmaceutical tablets and is referred to as a tabletting process. Although the method is widely used, there are still significant challenges with achieving a high-quality compact.
Merlin can run a number of tests to check for capping and lamination.
Tablet capping is the most common defect. It is when the shaped dome of the tablet fractures away from the body of the tablet.
When compressing a tablet, the air is pushed out from between the granules, which allows them to be locked together. If the particles are too dry, over-lubricated or highly elastic, they do not bond together sufficiently. The stress of ejection can open up small microcracks within the compact, which expand and lead to the cap being sheared apart from the body. Usually, the faster the speed of manufacture, the more likely it is that the tablet will cap.
Lamination of tablets happens when the product separates into horizontal layers. Tablet lamination is very similar to capping, but occurs in the main body of the tablet, not at the top, and it can occur immediately after compression or during the storage period.
At Merlin, we can compress your prototype tablet formulations to help you to understand the fundamental compaction properties of your product. Tablet properties at slow speed are not always representative of high speed compression. We can test the formulation at production-relevant speeds to assess the propensity for tablet capping and lamination to de-risk the development and scale-up process.
Depending on the material you want to test and depending on application, we may also recommend compression science and API characterisation, to identify the key characteristics of your material.
Or you can call us on +44(0)1384 900 265
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