CHARACTERIZATION OF MODIFIED PARACETAMOL BY MEANS OF SEM AND FRACTAL ANALYSIS

The morphological and surface characteristics of paracetamol and modif ied paracetamol particles are investigated in order to continue using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) descriptors and fractal dimension s to characterize powder particles. The coating materials were differe nt acrylic resins type Eudragit(R). The size and shape parameters of m odified products indicated that the particles form deviated from elong ated form becoming much more rounded powder particles. This circumstan ce implied an improvement in the flow properties of the products on th e basis of the theological parameters obtained. The fractal dimensions calculated from the slope of Richardson plots were comprised between 1.00 and 1.16 indicating that the coating treatment did not affect the roughness characteristics of paracetamol particles transforming only the final shape characteristics. Some interesting relationships among some SEM descriptors have been found.