Effect of Compaction Temperature on Consolidation of Amorphous Copolymers with Different Glass Transition Temperatures

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to relate the combination of glass transition temperature (T _g) and temperature of measurement with the mechanical and compaction properties of some test materials.

Methods. Copolymers with different T _gs were synthesised by free radical copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate with lauryl methacrylate. Elastic moduli were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis at different strain rates and temperatures. Compaction experiments were performed at different compaction speeds and temperatures.

Results. The difference between temperature of measurement and T _g appears to determine both elastic modulus and yield strength completely. They both decrease with decreasing difference between temperature of measurement and Tg and increase with strain rate. At temperatures of measurement higher than the T _g, the elastic modulus is extremely low because the materials behave as rubbers. Consequently, the amount of energy stored during compaction decreases when the compaction temperature approaches the T _g and increases with strain rate. When the compaction temperature is higher than the T _g, the amount of stored energy is extremely large. The compaction experiments show that the final tablet porosity is completely determined by stress relaxation phenomena. Consequently, the final tablet porosity follows exactly the same relation as that of stored energy.

Conclusions. The final tablet porosity is unequivocally determined by the amount of stored energy. This implies that tablet production at a temperature of about 20 K under the glass transition temperature of the material yields tablets with minimum porosity.