MICROMERITICS
MICROMERITICS
MICROMERITICS
Micromeritics
• Definition: It is the science and technology of
small particles.
• The unit of particle size used in the
micrometer (µm), micron (µ) and equal to 10-6
m.
• As particle size decreases , area increases
• Micromeritics is the science and technology of small
particles.
• Knowledge and control of the size and the size range
of particles are of significant importance in pharmacy
because the size and surface area of a particle related
to the physical, chemical and pharmacologic
properties of a drug.
sieving method.
asymmetric particle.
•• Specific
surface: is defined as the surface area per unit weight(sw) or
unit volume (Sv) of the material.
• Sv
=
• Sw
= =
Methods
•
ADSORPTION METHOD
• Particles with a large surface area are good adsorbents for the
adsorption of gases and solutes from solution.
• In determining the surface of the adsorbent, the volume in cubic
centimeters of gas adsorbed per gram of adsorbent may be plotted
against the pressure of the gas at constant temperature.
• The adsorbed layer is monomolecular at low pressure and become
multimolecular at higher pressure.
• The volume of nitrogen gas Vm in cm3 that 1g powder can adsorb
when the monolayer is complete can be accurately given by BET
equation
= +
• Instrument used is Quantasorb.
• Absorption and desorption of nitrogen gas on the powder sample is
measured with a thermal conductivity detector.
• When a mixture of helium and nitrogen is passed through a cell
containing powder.
• Nitrogen is the absorbate and helium is inert and not adsorbed on the
powder surface.
• A bell shaped curve is plotted and the signal height is proportional to
the rate of adsorption or desorption of nitrogen and the area under
curve being proportional to the gas adsorbed on the particles.
• Quantasorb’s versatility allows the use of a number of individual
gases or mixture of gases as adsorbates over a range of temperature.
Air Permeability Method
• Instrumentation is simple and determination is quick.
• This method also used to estimate surface diameter, ds .
• This method is useful in controlling batch to batch variation in
production of powders.
Principle :
• Powder is packed in the sample holder as a compact plug.
• In this packing, surface-surface contacts between particles appear as a
series of capillaries.
• The surface of these capillaries is a function of the surface area of the
powder.
• When air is allowed to pass through the powder bed at a constant
pressure, the bed resists the flow of air.
• This results in a pressure drop.
• The greater the surface area per gram of the powder, Sw the greater the
resistance to flow.
• The permeability of air for a given pressure drop is inversely
proportional to specific surface.
• The porosity of the powder (ε) and viscosity of air (n) are
estimated separately.
ν = vb-vp
in which Vp, is the true volume of the particles.
•• The
porosity or tides e of the powder is defined as the ratio
of the void volume to the bulk volume of the packing.
ε= = 1-
• Porosity is frequently expressed in percent.
Applications of porosity
• Higher the porosity, faster the rate of dissolution.
• Porosity is applied in the studies on the adsorption and
diffusion of drug materials.
Packing Arrangements
• Powder beds of uniform sized spheres can assume either one of two
ideal packing arrangements:
(a) Closest or rhombohedral, and
• A funnel is fixed at a particular height ‘h’ cm on a burette stand.
• A white paper is placed below the funnel.
• The given powdered drug or granule whose angle of repose is to be
determined is passed slowly through the funnel, until it forms a pile.
• Care is taken to see that the drug particles slip and roll over each
other through the side of the funnel.
• Further addition of drug or granule is stopped as soon as the drug or
granule pile touches the tip of the funnel.
• Circumference of the pile of drug is drawn with a pencil without
disturbing the pile. The radius of the pile is noted down as ‘r’ cm.
Angle of repose is then calculated by using the formula
COMPRESSIBILITY INDEX
Moisture content
• The higher the moisture content, the greater the risk of cohesion and
adhesion.