Significance of partial and total cohesion parameters of pharmaceutical solids determined from dissolution calorimetric measurements.

The total and partial adhesion-derived cohesion parameters of three solid pharmaceutical substances (caffeine, theophylline, and phenylbutazone) were determined from dissolution calorimetric measurements, a new technique devised for this purpose. Calorimetry has the advantage of leading directly to enthalpies, from which the solute cohesion parameter(s) is(are) deduced. An equation was developed that relates partial molar enthalpies of mixing (obtained by subtracting enthalpies of fusion from enthalpies of dissolution) to the cohesion parameters of the solute and of the solvents. Solvents were selected on the basis of their known cohesion parameters by applying the experimental research methodology.