Finite element analysis (FEA) is a computational method providing numerical solutions and mathematical modeling of complex physical phenomena that evolve during compression tableting of pharmaceutical powders. Since the early 2000s, FEA has been utilized together with various constitutive material models in a quest for a deeper understanding and unraveling of the complex mechanisms that govern powder compression. The objective of the present review paper is to highlight the potential and feasibility of FEA for implementation in pharmaceutical tableting in order to elucidate important aspects of the process, namely: stress and density distributions, temperature evolution, effect of punch shape on tablet formation, effect of friction, and failure of the tablet under stress. The constitutive models and theoretical background governing the above aspects of tablet compression and tablet fracture under diametral loading are also presented. In the last sections, applications of FEA in pharmaceutical tableting are demonstrated by many examples that prove its utilization and point out further potential applications.
Keywords: Drucker–Prager; compression; constitutive models; density distribution; microcrystalline cellulose; overview; pharmaceuticals; punch shape; simulation; tablet shape.