PharmaTeG – Pharmaceutical Technology Group - is founded by a group of pharmaceutical technologists belonging to the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Science and School of Hospital Pharmacy, University of Padova, Italy. The group collaborates with the Industrial Engineering Department of the University of Padova (APTLab – Advanced Particle Technology Laboratory) with whom it shares a passion for granulation (see http://www.aptlab.it/collaborations/).
The research of PharmaTeG is mainly focused on solid dosage forms and in particular on granules that represent a solid dosage form but also an intermediate step for the tableting process. The group has recently purchased the Mixer Torque Rheometer MTR 3 from Caleva as an essential tool to characterize the rheological properties of moistened powder masses during mixing. The information obtained from the MTR can be useful in order to deepen the agglomeration mechanism and to study binder-substrate interactions.
Torque profiles obtained by the MTR can therefore be used to predict the optimal liquid amount to use in the granulation process, reducing time and costs required for the development of new pharmaceutical products.