Application: Investigating The Dispersion Of Dry Powders

By Dr. Paul Kippax and Dr. Graham Calvert

Manipulation and control of the particle size of APIs and excipients is an essential element in delivering pharmaceutical products that meet strictly defined performance specifications. There are, however, many challenges along the way, not least of which is managing and measuring dry powders. Most pharmaceuticals are handled in this form during processing — and some, such as inhaled formulations, are delivered as powders. Unfortunately, fine powders tend to form aggregates, which behave very differently from primary, dispersed particles, adding extra pressure to understand and control particle dispersion during formulation and manufacture. This applies similarly to particle size analysis, where fine control of sample dispersion during measurement is essential if results are to be predictive of final product quality.