AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF THE PUNCH VELOCITY ON THE COMPACTION PROPERTIES OF IBUPROFEN

The effect of strain rate on the compaction properties of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen has been studied using a compaction simulator. As the punch velocity was decreased there was an increase in the densification of the ejected compacts, a reduction in the limiting compact porosity and an increase in the maximum tensile strength of the compacts produced. These findings indicate that the consolidation mechanism was a balance between elastic and plastic deformation with the predominating mechanism governed by the punch velocity. At the faster two peak velocities investigated, the relationship between total axial recovery of the compacts and upper punch pressure was biphasic, whereas at the slowest peak velocity it was monophasic.