A physical analysis of the phenomenon of tablet disintegration

A physical analysis is presented of the phenomenon of disintegration of compressed tablets, using an equation which expresses the normalized disintegration force, F F∞, as a function of time. The theory utilizes two parameters, an expansion rate constant, k, and an exponent, n, which vary depending on the composition of the tablets tested. The values of these parameters indicate if the disintegration phenomenon is controlled by the interfacial detachment of particles from the surface of the tablet or by the local diffusion of particles once they have been detached. The new theory is verified with experimental data of tablet disintegration for a number of tablets containing disintegrants of varying water swelling properties.