Benefits of Single-Pot Solutions for the Production of Pharmaceutical Granules

Pharmaceutical products such as ordinary or effervescent tablets are manufactured from powdery raw materials. These bulk materials tend to show inadequate rheological properties, e.g. poor flow behaviour, dosing problems, poor solubility kinetics, segregation, and potential health and safety problems due to the build-up of dust.

In order to ensure reliable production of pharmaceuticals at optimal and reproducible quality levels, the raw materials are processed into granules.

Various methods may be used to manufacture granules, which often involve more than one system (granulator, dryer, and other equipment downstream). The resulting transport between items of equipment can lead to extra personnel costs, the risk of product damage, and additional space requirements at production facilities. Sometimes the methods are highly energy-intensive (e.g. fluid bed dryers) and associated with elaborate explosion control concepts.

A compact and economical solution is the production of granules in the single-pot system described in the following, exemplary by the manufacture of vitamin C granules and granules used in effervescent tablets. By this solution, the various process steps involved in granulation are included in a single piece of equipment. The system favours gentle handling of the product and enables energy-efficient mixing and drying to be performed as quickly as possible.

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