Non-destructive assessment of mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose compacts

In the present study the mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose compacts compressed were studied. The resistance to crushing was tested using diametral compression testing and apparent Young’s modulus was determined using consecutive uniaxial compression of the full cross-sectional area of single tablets. As non-elastic deformation during the first compression cycle and reverse plasticity were discovered, the loading phase of the second compression cycle was used to determine Young’s modulus. The relative standard deviation of 10 consecutive measurements was 3.6%. The results indicate a direct correlation between crushing strength and Young’s modulus, which found further support when comparing surface roughness data and radial recovery of the tablets to Young’s modulus. The extrapolated elastic modulus at zero-porosity was found to be 1.80 ± 0.08 GPa, which is slightly lower than previously reported values, confirming the complexity of measuring the elastic properties of microcrystalline cellulose compacts. The method can be used for non-destructive assessment of mechanical properties of powder compacts for example during storage studies.