Provisional title
Rheology of Wet Masses Using the Spherical Indentation Method
Topic and Motivation
Wet granulation is a pharmaceutical process used to increase particle size by agglomerating particles through capillary forces. Understanding the forces that develop between particles during this process is crucial for predicting the growth regimes of forming granules. However, there are currently no established methods for characterizing the properties of wet masses, making it challenging to predict the strength of wet granules during granulation. This thesis aims to address these gaps. The research will primarily be conducted at the APTLab Granular Solids Laboratory within the Department of Industrial Engineering (DII), in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Technology Group of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DSF).
Activities
This thesis will predominantly involve experimental work, with the potential for integration with theoretical modeling. The objective is to determine the strength of a wet mass during rapid deformation, similar to conditions in a wet granulator. This will be achieved by impacting a bed of wet powder with a spherical indenter. The dynamics of the indenter's motion will be analyzed to provide insights into the material's strength properties.
Supervision
- Supervisor: Prof. Santomaso
- Co-supervisor: Prof. Franceschinis (DSF)
Period
To be determined