Direct Compression

The pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries are just a few examples of the many areas in which powders are used or produced on a daily basis. In the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries, these powders are used to manufacture tablets, among other things. More than 50% of medicines are administered in the form of tablets because they are easier to dose and cheaper to produce.

In the manufacture of tablets, excipients are often added to the active ingredient to be processed. These excipients act as fillers, binders, stricter agents (disintegrants) or lubricants and thus simplify the processing (tableting) of the tableting mass or improve the properties of the finished tablet (disintegration, hardness, release of active ingredient).

Fillers (e.g. microcrystalline cellulose,lactose) are added during the manufacture of a tablet, so that even when a small amount of active ingredient is used, a sufficient tablet size and mass is achieved and thus the intake is simplified.

Binders (e.g. polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) are added to the tableting mass to increase tablet strength. This is usually necessary for active ingredients that are difficult to compress or when a high proportion of active ingredients (e.g. extracts) is used. As well excipient premixes can be used: CompactCel^® & CompactCel^® SIL

Disintegrants (e.g. sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC)) are added to the tablet mass so that the tablet disintegrates as quickly as possible at the desired place of application and the active ingredient is released.

Lubricants serve to reduce the sliding and static friction between the tableting tool and the tableting mass and to increase the flowability of the tableting mass. Lubricants are divided into three subgroups: 1. Lubricants (e.g. magnesium stearates), which are intended to reduce friction between the tableting mass and the tableting tool. 2. (mould) release agents (e.g. talc) which are intended to prevent the tablet from sticking to the tablet die. 3. superplasticizers (e.g. highly dispersed silicon dioxide) improve the flowability of the tablet mass and loosen it.

Good flow properties of a tableting mass are important in the production of tablets using the direct tableting process. Here, the active ingredient is homogeneously mixed with the excipients in advance. In a continuous process, the tableting mass is then filled into the die without further processing through a filling funnel and compacted by pressure with an upper and lower punch. Poor flow properties of the tableting mass can lead to delays in the powder flow or blockage of the filling shoe. This would lead to insufficient and non-reproducible filling of the die and thus to an inaccurate dosage (and possibly incorrect dosage of the active ingredient). Furthermore, clogging of the hopper can lead to a delay or disruption in the process and thus to economic damage for the producing company. Poorly flowing tablet masses may not always be produced using the direct tableting process. In this case, conventional granulation/wet granulation must be used. However, these manufacturing processes are usually more complex and cost-intensive. Tablet manufacturers therefore prefer the simpler process of direct tableting.

In order to still be able to process poorly flowing tablet masses in direct tableting, the producer can add a flow agents to the tablet mixture.

What can BIOGRUND’s flow agent CompactCel^® FLO do?

CompactCel^® FLO
Flow aid, glidant, free of silicon dioxide
A separating agent which loosens up powder mixtures and improves their flowability. It replaces synthetic ingredients like silicon dioxide – for a consumer-friendly label. CompactCel^® FLO provides a clean funnel flow of the powder mass to be processed during both tableting process and capsule filling. A formation of bridge during flow from hopper can be avoided.

See illustration: Pure MCC in the formulation leads to poor flow behavior of the powder mixture. CompactCel^® FLO provides a remedy here. It reduces the angle of repose and thus flows better than pure MCC. In addition, the use of SiO2 can be dispensed with.

Click here for product information about our CompactCel^® (Tableting) products.