RSSL's physical chemistry department has recently expanded its capabilities in particle characterisation with new equipment for measuring the surface area of powder particles.
This measurement is key for determining the performance of excipients and APIs and is a regulatory requirement for some of the most commonly used excipients.
RSSL's new gas sorption instrument is a Micromeritics TriStar II 3020, used for the measurement of specific surface area (SSA, e.g. by BET) and total pore volume determinations. The new instrument is an important addition to the suite of particulate characterisation techniques available at RSSL (including: laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering, dynamic vapour sorption (DVS), microscopy and powder flow) and demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive and cutting edge scientific support to the Pharmaceutical Industry both in QC and R&D operations.
SSA is an important property that has a far-reaching impact on physico-chemical and bulk properties of materials. It has an intimate relationship with solubility (dissolution), rate of moisture sorption and overall chemical reactivity of pharmaceutical API’s and excipients, and is a key property in product performance and optimisation. It also provides a useful insight into bulk property and processing issues. Not only is SSA a regulatory requirement for some of the most commonly used pharmaceutical excipients, it is also relevant to patent claims. The arrival of the Tristar II 3020 means that RSSL can now determine specific surface area from as low as 0.001 m2/g using Krypton gas.
This new technology means RSSL is uniquely placed to provide comprehensive and data driven support to the Pharmaceutical Industry in dealing with challenges in handling powdered materials.
