P. Di Martino et al., The spray drying of acetazolamide as method to modify crystal properties and to improve compression behaviour, INT J PHARM, 213(1-2), 2001, pp. 209-221
Acetazolamide shows a very poor compression ability and tablets must usuall
y be produced through a wet granulation process. However, the possibility t
o obtain pure acetazolamide for direct compression could be interesting for
industrial application. With the scope to obtain a material for direct com
pression, three different crystallisation methods were chosen, with respect
to acetazolamide solvent solubility. (a) Acetazolamide was dissolved in an
ammonia solution and then spray dried. It was possible to characterise the
spherical particles as a mixture of two polymorphic forms, I and II by Pow
der X-ray diffraction study. (b) Pure form I was obtained by slowly cooling
to room temperature a boiling water solution. (c) Pure form II, the market
ed form, was obtained by neutralisation of an ammonia solution. Their compr
ession behaviour was investigated firstly by a rotary press. Whilst pure po
lymorphic forms I and II could not be compressed, the spray dried particles
showed very good compression properties. In fact, tablets were obtained on
ly by spray dried particles, which show very good properties under compress
ion and the absence of capping tendency. On the other hand, it was impossib
le to obtain tablets from polymorphic forms I and TI, whatever compression
pressures were used. In order to explain their densification mechanism, a s
ingle-punch tablet machine, equipped for the measurement of the upper punch
displacement in the die, was used. From calculated Heckel's parameters, it
was demonstrated that the spray dried material shows a greater particle re
arrangement in the initial stage of compression due to its spherical habit
and minor wrinkledness of particle surface. The crystalline structure due t
o the presence of polymorphic forms I and II concur to lowering the intrins
ic elasticity of the material. fact avoids the risk of the rupturing the in
terpaticulate bonds, which are formed during the compression, concurring to
the consolidation of the tablet. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.