(653e) Assessment of Air Entrapment Related Tablet Defect Risk in Tablet Manufacturing

Excessive entrapped air during high-speed powder compaction poses risk in pharmaceutical tablet production, often leading to observable defects such as fissures and lamination. This study investigates the relationship between air pressure, tensile strength, and the risk of air entrapment in tablets using a 1D transient air entrapment model developed by Zavaliangos et al. (2017). The model is applied to the compression of various active and excipient blends to analyze the resulting tablet air pressure profiles.

To facilitate the model's application, tablets varying in density were made using a compaction simulator. The permeability and tensile strength of the tablets were measured as functions of relative density. Permeability measurement at low-to-moderate tablet relative densityconducted using a FT4 powder rheometer, and at high tablet relative density were performed using a Pulse Permeameter. Additionally, the tensile strength of each tablet was measured using a diametrical tensile strength tester.

The simulation results align with observations, indicating that formulations with a high air pressure-tensile strength ratio exhibit signs of excessive air entrapment related tablet defects. This research highlights the potential of utilizing this hybrid modeling and experimental approach as a material-sparing methodology for assessing air entrapment risks during the early stages of formulation development.