Linking moisture induced variations in pharmaceutical primary powders to their tableting performance

A drug is only a small proportion of a pharmaceutical tablet. Other excipients, for example binders and disintegrants, make up the bulk volume of the dosage form and therefore the properties they possess are important in determining the final quality and compaction attributes of a tablet. Pharmaceutical formulations are often wet granulated, for example via twin screw granulation (TSG), prior to compaction to ensure homogeneity and to improve their flowability. The tableting properties of pharmaceutical formulations can be characterised by their compressibility and compactibility. Compaction consists of compression and consolidation of a particulate-gas system due to an applied force and such mechanisms have become an important part of pharmaceutical development.