ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Granulation processes are among the most widely practiced unit processes in pharmaceutical finished form manufacturing. Granulation (also referred to as agglomeration) can be used to improve powder flow properties and reduce fine dust through size enlargement and densification, thus improving tableting operations. Frequently, granulation provides the means to intimately combine a thermoplastic binder with other formulation components, thus improving compactibility of tablet formulations (1). Granulation is also used to prevent powder segregation, thereby ensuring uniform drug distribution. This is especially important in low-dose, high-potency drugs. Lastly, granulation is used to improve solubility and dispersibility of powders and tablets in water. This may also be referred to as “instantizing” or “hydrophilizing.”
