Effect of pulverization on hydration kinetic behaviors of creatine anhydrate powders

The crystal orientation of creatine monohydrate varies significantly with tableting performance and pulverizing mechanism. Furthermore, the X-ray diffraction patterns of anhydrous forms of untreated creatine monohydrate and of pulverized creatine monohydrate exhibit different crystal orientations. However, hygroscopic forms of unpulverized creatine anhydrate and pulverized creatine anhydrate was exhibit the same diffraction peak pattern. The hygroscopicity of unpulverized and pulverized creatine anhydrate has been investigated by hydration kinetic methods using isothermal differential scanning calorimetry data. Testing of the hygroscopicity of unpulverized and pulverized creatine anhydrate at various levels of relative humidity (RH) at 25 °C revealed that the anhydrate was stable at less than 33% RH, but was transformed into the monohydrate at more than 52% RH. Hydration data of unpulverized and pulverized creatine anhydrate at 60% and 75% RH were calculated to determine hydration kinetics using various solid-state kinetic models. The hydration type of unpulverized and pulverized creatine anhydrate powder follows the zero-order mechanism (Polany–Winger equation) R1. The transition rate constant of pulverized creatine anhydrate, calculated from the slope of the straight line, was about 1.34–1.36 times higher than that of unpulverized creatine anhydrate.