Question:medium

If the granule density of potassium bicarbonate is 2.350 g/cc and the true density is 3.560 g/cc, determine the interparticle porosity of the powder.

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Interparticle porosity is important for understanding powder flow, compressibility, and packing behavior in pharmaceutical formulations.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
  • 0.56
  • 0.44
  • 0.66
  • 0.34
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the given data.
Granule density, \(\rho_{granule} = 2.350\) g/cc.
True density, \(\rho_{true} = 3.560\) g/cc.
We need the interparticle porosity, the fraction of void space between particles within the granule bed.

Step 2: Set up the porosity relation.
Porosity compares the volume of voids to the total volume occupied by the granules:
\[ \varepsilon = 1 - \frac{\rho_{granule}}{\rho_{true}} \]
This works because \(\rho_{granule}/\rho_{true}\) is the fraction of the granule volume that is actually solid material, so one minus that fraction is the void fraction.

Step 3: Substitute and calculate.
\[ \varepsilon = 1 - \frac{2.350}{3.560} \]
\[ \frac{2.350}{3.560} = 0.660 \]
\[ \varepsilon = 1 - 0.660 = 0.340 \]

Step 4: Final Answer.
\[ \boxed{\varepsilon \approx 0.34} \]
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