July 11, 2021: Pharmaceutical Interview Questions and Answers

Definitions of tablet defects at compression stage

Weight variation: Individual weight of tablet outside of the accepted criteria.

High friability: The condition of tablets being friable. The tendency of tablets to break into smaller pieces or weight loss of powder from the surface of the tablets due to mechanical action such as transportation condition. When percentage loss is more than 1%, it is considered as high friability.

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High or low hardness (resistance to crushing): Individual hardness of tablets is outside the accepted limit (upper limit or lower limit). Hardness limits are determined during development phase of product.

Sticking: Sticking is a defect of the tablet wherein the portion tablet surface sticks to the face of punch or to the die wall during tablet compression activity.

Picking: Picking is a counter part of the sticking. When part of the tablet surface is sticks to the punch or to the die wall, the produced tablet are with pitted surface instead of a smooth surface.

Capping: Capping (or splitting) is a term used to describe the partial or complete separation upper or lower segment of the tablet horizontally from the main body of a tablet during ejection from the tablet press.

Laminating: Laminating of tablets means separation of a tablet into two or more different parallel layers.

Chipping: Chipping of tablets is the breaking of tablet edges during manufacturing or handling.

Mottling: Mottling of tablet is refers to unequal or ununiformed distribution of color on the tablet surface.

Double press or impression: Double impression is a tablet defect where a embossing or break or score line appears two time on the tablet surface.

Cracking: Cracking of tablets means small fine cracks on the upper and lower central surface of the tablets and sometimes seen on the side wall.

Binding: The term binding is used when tablets sticks to the die and does not eject properly out of the die.

Edging or Flashing of tablet: Edging or Flashing means observation of burrs or sharp edges on the edges of tablet.

Disintegration time abnormality – Too fast or too slow disintegration of tablets.

Black Spot/ particles/ fiber – Observation of black spot or particles or fiber which could be indigenous or foreign matter or contaminant.

Improper embossing or debossing: The defect because of improper embossing or debossing of letter, logo or monogram.

Layer separation: Layer separationis the defect of tablet where layers of tablet get separate. This is usually seen in tablets such as bilayer tablet.

Improper Layers: Improper Layers mainly appears in layered tablets such as bilayer tablet. In this type of defect, layer does not distinguished sharply.