Characterization of flowability of pharmaceutical powders based on multivariate analysis method

The main methods of characterizing the flowability of pharmaceutical powders include repose angle method, HR method, Carr’s index method, Jenike flow function method, fractal dimension method, and mass flow rate method, etc.  Regarding powders with different flowabilities as the research subject, comprehensive features of pharmaceutical materials were investigated and characterized.  The multivariate analysis method was employed to evaluate and analyze flowability values of the tested pharmaceutical materials.  Comparing with the method of the mass flow rate, it was feasible to use multivariate analysis method to evaluate the flowability of powders.  Simultaneously, the flowability of pharmaceutical materials could be ranked and definitely quantified, and critical values be determined according to the actual production, which has promoted the previous methods dependent only on the single parameter, i.e. repose angle and compression degree methods.  A relatively objective standard method of evaluating flowability of powders is formed.