 | Rocio Arroyave University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Industrial BiotechnologyMentor(s)Aditya U. Vanarase, Ph.D. Fernando J. Muzzio, Ph.D. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
| ||
| Analysis of the effects of shearing conditions on the distribution of MgSt using Laser-Induced-Breakdown-Spectroscopy and Near Infrared Spectroscopy | ||
| Lubricants can greatly facilitate processing steps such as mixing and tableting by impacting powder flow. Since over-lubrication causes reduction in the dissolution and hardness of tablets, blend flowability and tablet properties will depend on the extent to which the blend has been exposed to shear. Formulations of magnesium stearate (MgSt), exposed to different shear conditions, were evaluated for their homogeneity. Powder samples were initially scanned using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and tablets at constant pressure were examined by laser-induce breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Experimental conditions examined were different levels of strain and shear in a couette shear cell. NIR measurements showed that relative standard deviation (RSD) decreases with increase in MgSt concentration. Homogeneity also improved with increased amount of shear and NIR captured this effect very well. LIBS were performed on tablets using 13 sites and 31 shots per site and an average intensity was measured over all the measurements. RSD was calculated between 20 tablets as each experimental condition. RSD showed an increase with increase in strain. The trends in RSD observed by NIR measurements were different from the LIBS. Average LIBS intensity was found to be a maximum at maximum strain. This effect was found only for MgSt and not for Ca(PO4)2. |