A Comparison of the

Physical Properties of
Some Commercial
Aspirin Tablets
Elaine Armstrong
6-14-02
STEP

Objective
Compare physical properties of
commercially available aspirin
tablets

Methods

Testing of Aspirin Tablets

Friability
Hardness
Thickness
Disintegration
Weight Variation
Dissolution

Friability Testing
USP test to determine how well tablets will stand
up to coating, packaging, shipping, and other
processing conditions
Ten tablets were dusted and weighed on the analytical
balance
The tablets were placed in the section 1 of the drum of
the friability tester and rotated 100 times
The tablets were re-dusted and re-weighed
According to USP, the tablets should not lose more
than 1% of their total weight

Initial

weight
Final
weight
100
%Loss

Initial
weight

Friability Testing

Hardness
Determine the crushing strength of the
tablets
Using forceps, the 10 tablets were individually
placed between the platens of the hardness
tester
The test button was pushed and the instrument
gave a visual reading of tablet hardness

Thickness
Determines the tablet thickness
Ten tablets were dusted and using forceps
were individually placed between the calipers
of the thickness tester
The instrument gave a visual reading of tablet
thickness

Hardness/Thickness Testing

Weight Variation
Shows the uniformity of tablet weights
Ten tablets were dusted and weighed using the
analytical balance
The mean tablet weight and standard deviation
was calculated
According to the USP, the requirements for
uniformity are met if each individual tablet is
within 85% to 115% of the mean

Weight Variation Testing

Disintegration
USP test to determine the time required for
tablets to disintegrate
A 900 mL beaker was filled with 372 C water
Six tablets were placed into the basket-rack assembly
and connected to the disintegration apparatus
The apparatus and the timer were started
simultaneously and the time required for the last tablet
to disintegrate was recorded

Disintegration Testing

Dissolution
The purpose of dissolution testing is to see
how much of the tablet goes into solution
after a given time period

Preparing the 0.05M Acetate

Buffer
Sodium Acetate Trihydrate was
weighed and placed into a 2000
mL volumetric flask
Glacial Acetic Acid was then
pipeted into the flask
The flask was filled with water
up to the mark
The resulting solution was
thoroughly mixed and the pH
was determined using the pH
meter
500 mL of buffer was measured
three times and added into three
round bottom dissolution vessels

Dissolution Testing
The vessels were added to a circulating
water bath maintained at 37C and allowed
to equilibrate
Once the desired temperature was obtained,
the tablets were added to the mesh
cylindrical baskets and the baskets were
lowered into the vessels and rotated at 50
rpm for 30 minutes.

Dissolution Testing

Dissolution Analysis
A sample was removed from each vessel using a
syringe and then filtered with a 0.45 m nylon
filter
The sample was diluted with buffer and the
concentration was determined by measuring the
absorption at 265 nm using an Ultrospec 3300
pro UV/Visible Spectrophotometer and
comparing to a Standard Curve

Standard Curve
Absorbance (265nm)

Standard Curve of Asprin in 0.05M Acetate Buffer

1
0.8

y = 3.1353x - 0.017
R2 = 0.9992

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

Concentration (mg/mL)

0.25

0.3

Dissolution Analysis

Results

Lite Coat Aspirin(Coats

Pharmacy)
Distributed by Quality
Choice
NOVI Michigan
48376-0995
Cost: $4.19
Expires:9-04
Lot #: P25814

Lite Coat Tablet Results

Friability (percent loss) 0.34%
Weighing Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.980.18 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

13.561.3 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.1690.002 in

Disintegration (time)

21 sec

Dissolution (average/st. 247.521 mg

dev.)

Equate (Wal-Mart Brand)

Aspirin Tablets
Manufactured by
Perrigo Co.
Alegan, MI 49010
Cost: $0.97
Expires: 12-03
Lot #: 20E0033

Equate Tablet Results

Friability (percent loss)

-0.14%

Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.940.02 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

10.121.04 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.170.001 in

Disintegration (time)

17 sec

Dissolution

312.114.8 mg

CVS Brand Aspirin

Distributed by CVS
Pharmacy, Inc.
Woonsocket,RI 02895
Cost: $1.99
Expires: 1-04
Lot #: 2DE0280

CVS Brand Tablet Results

Friability (percent loss)

0.42%

Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.94.02 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

9.51.01 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.170.001 in

Disintegration (time)

17 sec

Dissolution

263.72.4 mg

Medical Center (Bookstore)

Aspirin
Distributed by
Diamond Products
Seffner,FL 33583
Cost: $1.09
Expires: 4-02
Lot #: 1639

Medical Center Tablet Results

Friablility (percent loss)
Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.9%
0.920.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

14.142.96 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.170.03 in

Disintegration (time)

8 min 55 sec

Dissolution (average/st.
dev.)

267.9 16.6 mg

Kroger Brand Aspirin

Distributed by the
Kroger Co.
Cincinnati,Ohio
45202
Cost: $1.99
Expires: 8-03
Lot #: 1LE0732

Kroger Brand Tablets Results

Friablility (percent loss)
Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.01%
0.940.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

11.181.15 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.1710.002 in

Disintegration (time)

18 sec

Dissolution (average/st.
dev.)

259.92.8 mg

Target Brand Aspirin

Distributed by the
Target Corporation
Minneapolis,MN
55402
Cost: $2.64
Expires: 1-04
Lot #: 2CE0334

Target Brand Tablets Results

Friablility (percent loss)
Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.12%
0.940.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

8.681.06 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.1720.002 in

Disintegration (time)

19 sec

Dissolution (average/st.
dev.)

251.46.4 mg

American Fare (Kmart) Brand

Aspirin
Made for Kmart
Corporation
Troy, Michigan 48084
Cost: $1.99
Expires: 8-04
Lot #: P25463

American Fare Tablets Results

Friablility (percent loss)
Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.39%
0.930.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

13.811.9 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.1710.001 in

Disintegration (time)

26 sec

Dissolution (average/st.
dev.)

2705.6 mg

Bayer Aspirin
Distributed by the
Bayer Corporation
Morristown,NJ
07962-1910
Cost:$3.99
Expires: 1-04
Lot #: 241812B

Bayer Tablets Results

Friability (percent
loss)

0.01%

Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.950.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

9.830.91 SC

Thickness (average/st. 0.1740.001 in

dev.)
Disintegration (time)

18 sec

Dissolution
(average/st. dev.)

254.16 mg

Pharmacy School Aspirin

Packaged by Paddock
Laboratories Inc.
Minneapolis,MN
55427
Expired:12-97
Lot #: 5G6529

Pharmacy School Tablets

Results
Friability (percent loss)
Weight Variation
(average/st. dev.)

0.93%
0.930.01 g

Hardness (average/st.
dev.)

16.151.41 SC

Thickness (average/st.
dev.)

0.1710.002 in

Disintegration (time)

19 sec

Dissolution (average/st.
dev.)

280.118.1 mg

Overall Results

Friabilit Weight
y
Variation
(% Loss)
(g)

Hardness Thickness Disintegration Dissolution

(SC)
(in)
(sec)
(mg)

Lite Coat

0.34

0.98

13.56

0.169

21

247.5

Equate

-0.14

0.94

10.12

0.170

17

312.1

CVS

0.42

0.94

9.50

0.170

17

263.7

Bookstor
e

0.90

0.92

14.14

0.170

535

267.9

Kroger

0.01

0.94

11.18

0.171

18

259.9

Target

0.12

0.94

8.68

0.172

19

251.4

K-Mart

0.39

0.93

13.80

0.171

26

270.0

Bayer

0.01

0.95

9.83

0.174

18

254.1

Pharmacy
School

0.93

0.93

16.15

0.171

19

280.1

Conclusions

Summary
The tablets all met USP standards for friability
The tablets displayed uniformity in terms of
hardness, thickness, and weight variation
With the exception of the tablets obtained from
the bookstore, all tablets disintegrated within 30
seconds
Five of the nine lots tested passed USP standards
for dissolution