Analyses rhéologiques des systèmes granulaires appliquées à l'étude des effets des forces électrostatiques

• Main Author: Léonard, Guillaume
• Other Authors: Abatzoglou, Nicolas
• Language: French
• Published: Université de Sherbrooke 2011
• Subjects: Friction avec des parois; Lubrification; Cellules de cisaillement; Rhéologie granulaire; Forces électrostatiques; Poudres; Milieux granulaires
• Online Access: http://savoirs.usherbrooke.ca/handle/11143/1948

This doctoral research aims to deepen knowledge on the impact of electrostatic forces on powder rheology. The initial focus of this thesis was to answer the following question:"Does the presence of electrostatic charges on a pharmaceutical powder carrier have an influence on the spatial lubricant distribution over the carrier particles and thus on the granular rheology?". After the development of an electrification setup and many experiments, the answer to this question turns out to be negative. However, this question led us to discover several phenomena, such as deformation mechanisms of powder columns during shear tests with the FT4 rheometer; and the formation of self-assemblies after the imposition of electrostatic charges on pharmaceutical excipients. These phenomena are explored in this thesis. Therefore, we demonstrate the inability of a FT4 rheometer to conduct shear tests when pharmaceutical formulations are lubricated with magnesium stearate. Indeed,"monolithic cake" behaviour appears. Two numerical models (method of characteristics and analysis of Janssen) are used to assess the stress state and explain this particular case. In addition, a characterization of the shape and particle size distribution of the electrostatic self-assemblies is presented in this thesis. Finally, the previous parts of this thesis showed the importance of wall friction effects during shear tests. Thus, a final part of this thesis focuses on the mechanism of wall lubrication.This latest effort brings us back to the study of the influence of electrostatic forces on powder rheology. Indeed, a high variability with the wall friction results is obtained with unlubricated powders at a relative humidity of 20%. The presence of magnesium stearate and/or higher humidity conditions reduces this variability. However, some tests indicate that electrostatic phenomena are part of the explanation.