Application of instrumented nanoindentation in preformulation studies of pharmaceutical active ingredients and excipients

• Main Authors: Egart Mateja, Janković Biljana, Srčič Stane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2016-09-01
• Series: Acta Pharmaceutica
• Subjects: instrumented nanoindentation; mechanical properties; young’s modulus; indentation hardness; fracture toughness; crystalline active ingredients and excipients
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/acph-2016-0032

Nanoindentation allows quantitative determination of a material’s response to stress such as elastic and plastic deformation or fracture tendency. Key instruments that have enabled great advances in nanomechanical studies are the instrumented nanoindenter and atomic force microscopy. The versatility of these instruments lies in their capability to measure local mechanical response, in very small volumes and depths, while monitoring time, displacement and force with high accuracy and precision.