Importance of Drying in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Part 2
Thermal Processing in Pill Production
As a continuation to our blog last month we would like to discuss how thermal processing plays an important role in the production of pills. This is particularly true during the granulation process. Prior to pill formation, the granules need to be thoroughly dried and to accelerate the process manufacturers utilize heat. Drug manufacturers use granulation dryers that use heated air to remove moisture from the granules and commonly use pill dosing equipment after the granules are dried.
Granulation dryers are also helpful for tablet curing, a thermal treatment following the application of pill coating. During curing, the coalescence of the various polymer particles from the aqueous coating dispersions is often incomplete, and this incomplete coalescence allows the particles to coalesce at storage temperature. In time, this late and uncontrolled coalescence can modify the release of the drug from the coated products. Thermal processing, which involves keeping the coated dosage forms at elevated temperatures for short periods, helps control coalescence of polymer particles during long-term storage.
Immediately after coating, a pharmaceutical oven subjects the coated dosage forms to temperatures higher than the glass transition temperatures of the polymer. Temperature control is essential, as excessively high curing temperatures can result in excessive tackiness in the pill. This thermal processing improves curing condition by facilitating uniform distribution of plasticizers while improving polymer particle coalescence. Depending on the drug type and curing conditions, thermal processing can help retard or increase drug release.
Thermal processing can drive pill production well beyond the days when ancient healers rolled medicine into balls of clay – advanced curing/granulation dryers can help provide safe, effective and reliable medications for generations to come.
Gruenberg designs and manufactures a full line of granulation and tablet curing dryers for the pharmaceutical market. These units feature high volume horizontal airflow systems that supply the optimal air distribution and uniformity essential to pill production. Tablet curing/granulation dryers typically maintain a temperature uniformity of ± 5° F at a test temperature of 160° F. To learn more click here.