Predicting the postconsolidation relaxation behavior of sodium chloride tablets.

A model that relates the interparticulate contact stress within a tablet matrix with the compaction stress has been developed. The model permits the application of nonlinear deformation kinetic analysis to quantification of the viscoelastic behavior of tablet constituents. Deformation kinetic analysis assumes that stress relaxation is controlled by thermally activated processes similar in character to those associated with chemical reaction kinetics. The model was tested by measuring the stress relaxation of sodium chloride compacts as a function of temperature and relative density. The experimental activation parameters agree with literature values within experimental errors.