(21d) Discrete Element Simulation Of The Mixing Process In A Pancoater

Computer Simulations using Discrete Element Method have been performed to simulate the flow and mixing of tablets in a pancoater. A comparison between the mixing performance using front-back and side-by-side loading was studied. Differently colored tablets of 6mm diameter were loaded in the pancoater in side-side and front-back loading. The simulations were performed using a system of granular material of same mechanical and physical characteristics as that of a tablet. Five sets of spiral shaped ribbon baffles were incorporated in the pancoater in enhance the mixing performance. In order to maintain high level of computational performance, the baffles were made of particles of appropriate sizes and they remained glued and perform solid body rotation with the wall of the pancoater. The degree of uniformity of the mixture was observed in multiple locations of the pancoater by performing sampling. It was observed that in the side-by-side loading, the mixing performance was significantly better than the front-back loading. A uniform mix was produced in as little as 2 revolutions at a rotation rate of 15rpm in the case of side-by-side loading. This amount of mixing was not obtainable in the front-back loading even after 15 revolutions.