Assessing the particle size of a broadly dispersed powder by complementary techniques

The experimental determination of reliable particle size distribution curves and statistical parameters of broad distributions is known to be a difficult task. This problem is addressed here in an attempt to characterize the granularity of three distinct batches of a pharmaceutical powder (fenofibrate from Fournier Laboratories). The methodology consists in comparing the results, expressed in terms of surface based mean diameter, as obtained by three complementary techniques, namely optical microscopy image analysis, laser light low angle diffraction and surface area measurement by krypton physisorption. These techniques are applied in parallel to the material of interest and to a certified…