Tablet surface characterisation by various imaging techniques

The aim of this study was to characterise tablet surfaces using different imaging and roughness analytical techniques including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The test materials compressed were potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl). It was found that all methods used suggested that the KCl tablets were smoother than the NaCl tablets and higher compression pressure made the tablets smoother. Imaging methods like optical microscopy and SEM can give useful information about the roughness of the sample surface, but they do not provide quantitative information about surface roughness. Laser profilometry and AFM on the other hand provide quantitative roughness data from two different scales, laser profilometer from I mm and atomic force microscope from 90 mum scale. AFM is a powerful technique but other imaging and roughness measuring methods like SEM, optical microscopy and laser profilometry give valuable additional information. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.