Force Distribution and Contact Mechanics in Mini-Tablet Compaction: A Discrete Element Method Study

Saeed Najafian; Trong Bien Tran; Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri; Tze Ning Hiew

doi:10.1007/s11095-026-04127-y

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Force Distribution and Contact Mechanics in Mini-Tablet Compaction: A Discrete Element Method Study

Journal article

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Force Distribution and Contact Mechanics in Mini-Tablet Compaction: A Discrete Element Method Study

Saeed Najafian, Trong Bien Tran, Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri and Tze Ning Hiew

Pharmaceutical research

06/18/2026

DOI: 10.1007/s11095-026-04127-y

PMID: 42315689

Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how powder fill weight, particle size, and particle size distribution influence force transmission and compaction behavior of powders during compaction within narrow die cavities. Discrete element method simulations were used to model confined powder compaction. Monodisperse and polydisperse systems were analyzed by varying particle size, size distribution breadth, and fill weight. Compaction force-displacement behavior was examined together with particle-level normal, tangential, and cohesive forces, including their axial and radial spatial distributions. Particle size had a stronger influence on force heterogeneity than fill weight within the range examined, with larger particles generating higher and more heterogeneous contact forces. Force distributions were positively skewed, indicating load localization within force chains. Normal and tangential forces were highest near the die wall, reflecting strong confinement effects. While individual particle forces followed similar size-dependent trends across different size distributions, narrow distributions required higher compaction forces due to localized load-bearing structures, whereas wider distributions promoted more uniform force sharing and lower resistance to compaction. The results demonstrated that macroscopic compaction behavior was governed by the organization of force networks rather than particle-scale force magnitudes alone, highlighting the critical roles of particle size, polydispersity, and confinement effects in powder compaction.

die filling

compaction

discrete element method (DEM)

force chains

mini-tablet

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Force Distribution and Contact Mechanics in Mini-Tablet Compaction: A Discrete Element Method Study
Creators: Saeed Najafian - University of Connecticut
Trong Bien Tran - Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri - University of Connecticut
Tze Ning Hiew - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Pharmaceutical research
DOI: 10.1007/s11095-026-04127-y
PMID: 42315689
NLM abbreviation: Pharm Res
ISSN: 1573-904X
eISSN: 1573-904X
Publisher: Springer Nature
Grant note: 2429687 / National Science Foundation
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 06/18/2026
Academic Unit: Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics
Record Identifier: 9985175377902771

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