A thermal analysis study of ibuprofen and starch mixtures using simultaneous TG-DTA

Mixtures of ibuprofen and starch were examined in a flowing atmosphere of d ry nitrogen using a simultaneous TG-DTA unit. This showed that the two main features of heat treatment of ibuprofen, namely melting and evaporation, w ere retained. The loss of water from the starch on heat treatment could be noticed in the mixtures, and the thermal degradation of the starch to carbo n could also be observed as a separate step. The temperature for the evapor ation of the ibuprofen increased and the starch degradation temperature als o rose with increasing ibuprofen content in the binary mixtures. The separa tion of these two processes enabled the percentage of composition of the mi xture to be established. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .