DETERMINATION OF MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF SAME MATERIAL DOUBLE-LAYER RECTANGULAR TABLETS

Abstract

The mechanical strength of same material composite beams of Avicel PHI02, Starch 1500 and Emcompress were assessed by three-point bending test. To provide an improved method of comparing the strength of the tablets, the tensile strength of the specimens was calculated by equations based on stress analysis. Increasing the compaction pressure led to decrease of the porosity of the compacted tablets while the overall mass of the composite tablets were kept constant. Meanwhile, the values of fracture load and strengths (including tensile and shear) raised by increasing the compaction pressure. However, when the lower layer was compacted twice, the value of tensile stress of the lower layer was more than its value in a single compacted tablet with the same material. This observation was attributed to the extent of the reduction of porosity during compaction of the single tablets which raised in their tensile strength values.