Toward a Molecular Understanding of the Impact of Crystal Size and Shape on Punch Sticking.

Punch sticking during tablet manufacturing is a common problem facing the pharmaceutical industry. Using several model compounds, effects of crystal size and shape of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) on punch sticking propensity were systematically investigated in this work to provide molecular insights into the punch-sticking phenomenon. In contrast to the common belief that smaller API particles aggravate punch sticking, results show that particle size reduction can either reduce or enhance API punch sticking, depending on the complex interplay among the particle surface area, plasticity, cohesive strength, and specific surface functional groups.

Dependence of Punch Sticking on Compaction Pressure-Roles of Particle Deformability and Tablet Tensile Strength.

Punch sticking is a complex phenomenon influenced primarily by particle size, tooling surface roughness, tooling design, and tooling construction material. When particle and environmental factors are controlled, compaction pressure has a distinct effect on punch sticking behavior for a given active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This research focuses on the effect of compaction pressure on punch sticking using 5 compounds with different sticking propensities.

Powder properties and compaction parameters that influence punch sticking propensity of pharmaceuticals.

Punch sticking is a frequently occurring problem that challenges successful tablet manufacturing. A mechanistic understanding of the punch sticking phenomenon facilitates the design of effective strategies to solve punch sticking problems of a drug. The first step in this effort is to identify process parameters and particle properties that can profoundly affect sticking performance.

Mechanism and Kinetics of Punch Sticking of Pharmaceuticals.

Adherence of powder onto tablet tooling, known as punch sticking, is one of the tablet manufacturing problems that need to be resolved. An important step toward the resolution of this problem is to quantify sticking propensity of different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and understand physicochemical factors that influence sticking propensity. In this study, mass of adhered material onto a removable upper punch tip as a function of number of compression is used to monitor sticking kinetics of 24 chemically diverse compounds.

The role of gender constancy in early gender development.

Kohlberg's (1966) hypothesis that the attainment of gender constancy motivates children to attend to gender norms was reevaluated by examining these links in relation to age. Ninety-four 3- to 7-year-old children were interviewed to assess whether and how constancy mediates age-related changes in gender-related beliefs. As expected, results indicated a general pattern of an increase in stereotype knowledge, the importance and positive evaluation of one's own gender category, and rigidity of beliefs between the ages of 3 and 5.