ABSTRACT
One of the main reasons for the continuing popularity of solid dosage forms is the fact
that they can be introduced into the body by a number of routes (Byrn, 1982). The pro-
duction of the variety of such dosage forms almost always involves the handling of
powdered solids (Lachman et al., 1986) since the drugs and excipients will exist in this
form at the beginning, throughout and, often, at the end of the manufacturing process.
Not surprisingly, the physicochemical properties of powders have attracted considerable
attention but this usually addressed a collection of discrete particles with dimensions
