Micrometrics

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

School of Pharmacy and Health Science

Course: Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree

Subject: Pharmaceutics II

Lecture: Micrometritics

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Lecturer: Marcia Williams

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Objectives

At the end of the session the student should be able to:

1. Explain the importance of particle and particle size distribution in designing dosage forms.

2. Describe the methods for determining particle size and particle size distribution and particle volume.

3. Determine particle size and particle size distribution using microscopic and sieving methods.

4. Describe powders based on USP definition such as “coarse” , “fine” etc.

5. Determine the angle of repose of a mass of powder and be able to use this value to assess the flow property of the powder.

6. Explain the meaning of powder properties such as void, porosity, true density, bulk density and bulkiness and their relevance to dosage form design.

7. Use the techniques mentioned above to determine powder properties and to use the information to predict the behaviour of the powder.

Required Reading

Aulton, Michael: Pharmaceutics: The Science of Dosage Form Design, 2nd Edition Chapter 10.

Reference

Ansel, H. C. et al: Pharmaceutical Dosage Form and Drug Delivery System; 6th edition, pages 155 – 160.

Martin, Alfred: Physical Pharmacy; 4th edition, Chapter 16.

What is Micromeritics

Micrometritics is the science of small particles; a particle is any unit of matter with defined physical dimensions. It is important to study particles because the majority of drug dosage forms are solids; solids are not “static” systems. The physical state of particles can be altered by physical manipulation and particle characteristics can alter therapeutic effectiveness. Micrometritics includes a number of characteristics including particle size, particle size distribution,...