Freeman upgrades its powder rheometer
instrumentation company Freeman Technology will unveil software
upgrades for its FT4 Powder Rheometer that allow 'real time' bulk
density measurement, improving QC even more by detecting subtle
changes in bulk density that occur during repeat testing.
The conditioning process used by the FT4 Powder Rheometer already makes repetitive flowability testing possible despite the usually high dependence of flow properties on the packing condition.
The new software updates allow any changes that occur in the testing process, due to the variable aeration/air flow rate for example, to be measured as well.
This latest development is another step forward in overcoming what has been a major challenge in dealing with powders - the change in their flow properties.
In all traditional flow testing methods, the packing condition is largely unknown and so the results will vary accordingly.
To achieve reliable repetitive testing, Freeman established reproducible flow conditions that more closely resemble the way that powders move during handling and processing, and these conditions are used to evaluate how different powder samples compare in relation to factors such as moisture content, level of aeration, particle size range, or merely different batches of the same material.
What is more, the elimination of user variability through automation allows discrimination of even small differences between powders, with data reproducibility typically better than 1 per cent.
"There is no real unit of rheology but we have managed to eliminate the subjective element of the process through automation and by getting very high sensitivity we have constructed a database of powders that did not exist before," Reg Freeman, managing director of the company, told In-PharmaTechnologist.com.
"The FT4 has been around for two years and costs between £25,000 ($44,000) and £30,000, which is great value for money as it provides a total QC solution for powders that addresses bulk properties, flowability and processability issues."
The device is used widely within the pharmaceutical industry and has applications that range from QC of incoming raw materials through formulation, including the determination of granulation end-point and scale-up.
One of its attractions is that it can handle very small quantities of material, which makes it useful for early assessment of the properties of developmental compounds that are in short supply.
As a result, suppliers know what they should be supplying in relation to flow properties, costs due to stoppages during production are significantly reduced and customers get the quality they expect.
