1992 Volume 40 Issue 6 Pages 1540-1544
In the extruding granulation process, granules are prepared by moistening blended powders, sucrose and lactose, and passing the resultant mass through a screen. Many factors affect the properties of granules in this process. The properties of the granulating fluid play an important role, especially when a water/organic solvent system is employed.In this study, a water/isopropyl alcohol system was chosen and the effects of surface tension, viscosity, and the solubility of sucrose and lactose on the properties of the kneading mass and the granules were examined. Deformation behavior and cohesiveness of the kneading mass were influenced by liquid saturation and surface tension. No remarkable variation was observed in mean granule diameter, except in a pure isopropyl alcohol system. Granule hardness increased with the tensile strength of the kneading mass and the amounts of sucrose and lactose deposited; solubility was a dominant factor.
