Application of passive acoustic emissions for inline monitoring of segregation prone mixtures in a V-blender
Abstract
Powder mixing is a critical and complex step of pharmaceutical production. Process analytical technologies can enhance the quality of a product through mechanisms including improved monitoring during mixing processes. Passive acoustic emissions were examined during mixing in a V-blender. Vibrations from the emissions were measured through an accelerometer attached to the lid of the outer V-shell arm. Analysis to extract information from the emissions was refined to obtain information about particle flow versus individual particle behavior. The initially measured amplitude in segregation-prone mixtures was like that of the particle loaded on top. A stable mixture was reached when the measured amplitude plateaued to the approximate weighted average of the particles in the outer V-shell arm. Overall, the passive acoustic emissions method was refined and extended to segregation-prone mixtures, supporting the effectiveness of passive acoustic emissions for extracting information about mixing in pharmaceutical production to improve product quality and manufacturing efficiency.