Micromeritics is the science of small particles; a particle is any unit of matter having defined physical dimensions.
It is important to study particles because most drug dosage forms are solids, solids are not static systems, the physical state of particles can be altered by physical manipulation, and particle characteristics can alter therapeutic effectiveness.
Micromeritics is the study of a number of characteristics, including particle size and size distribution, shape, angle of repose, porosity, true volume, bulk volume, apparent density, and bulkiness.
A number of techniques can be used to determine particle size and size distributions. Particle size determinations are complicated by the fact that particles are not uniform in shape. The techniques commonly used include the microscopic method and the sieving method.
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