Intrinsic adhesion force of lubricants to steel surface.

The intrinsic adhesion forces of lubricants and other pharmaceutical materials to a steel surface were quantitatively compared using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). A steel sphere was attached to the tip of an AFM cantilever, and its adhesion forces to the substrate surfaces of magnesium stearate, sodium stearyl fumarate, lactose, 4-acetamidophenol, and naproxen were measured. Surface roughness varied by an order of magnitude among the materials. However, the results clearly showed that the two lubricants had about half the intrinsic adhesion force as lactose, 4-acetamidophenol, and naproxen. Differences in the intrinsic adhesion forces of the two lubricants were insignificant. The lubricant molecules were unable to cover the steel surface during AFM measurements. Intrinsic adhesion force can slightly be modified by surface treatment and compaction, and its tip-to-tip variation was not greater than its difference between lubricants and other pharmaceutical particles. This study provides a quantitative fundamental basis for understanding adhesion related issues.