Tensile strength and bonding in compacts: a comparison of diametral compression and three-point bending for plastically deforming materials.

The tensile strength of tablets is frequently used as a measure of the bonding achieved during compaction. Tablets from two plastically deforming materials and one brittle material have been subjected to tensile strength testing using diametral compression and three-point bending. The plastically deforming materials exhibited marked inhomogeneities, with the surfaces of the tablets considerably more compact than the inner material. The results from the two tests were different, with the three-point bending test giving higher results for tensile strength. The rate of change of tensile strength with overall tablet porosity was, however, the same for the two tests. Diametral compression would thus appear to give a reasonable estimate of bonding despite the non-homogenous nature of tablets prepared from plastically deforming materials.