A comparison of the fluidized bed drying technique with conventional methods of drying tablet granulations

Drying procedures, like other important unit operations in pharmacy, have received little attention in pharmaceutical literature. Within recent years, however, growing interest in these pharmaceutical engineering areas has become apparent. Fluidization operations, although relatively unexplored in p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mills, Kit Michael
Format: Others
Published: Scholarly Commons 1969
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1686
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2685&context=uop_etds
Description
Summary:Drying procedures, like other important unit operations in pharmacy, have received little attention in pharmaceutical literature. Within recent years, however, growing interest in these pharmaceutical engineering areas has become apparent. Fluidization operations, although relatively unexplored in pharmacy, have been firmly established on a broad scale in other industries. Fluidization may be defined as the suspension and agitation of a bed of particulate solids by a vertically rising stream of gas. Each suspended particle is surrounded by the gas. This relative velocity of the gas and solid particles is high, although the gas velocity itself is relatively low. Heat is transferred by by a combination of conduction and convection and by the movement of the solid particles (1). Fluidized bed drying of moist phosphate rock, coal, and many other materials has been discussed in technical literature (1, 2). However, relatively few reports have appeared on the applications of fluidized beds to materials of pharmaceutical interest. These technical studies show that uniform bed temperatures with high heat and mass transfer rates are obtainable in fluidization system. Product temperatures are controllable over narrow limits within the fluidized bed. These reported advantages would appear to have particular importance in processing pharmaceuticals. It is difficult to understand, therefore, why only a few studies on fluidized bed drying have appeared in pharmaceutical literature. Apparently no comprehensive studies dealing with finished tablets, compressed from granulations dried by the fluidization technique, have appeared in pharmaceutical literature. Accordingly, it would seem appropriate that more studies be conducted, in pharmaceutical fields, concerning drying procedures, especially the fluidization process. The present project will consist of conducting a series of tests on identical granule formulations dried by the conventional air drying and oven drying processes as well as the fluidized bed drying technique. The present work will also include the performance of tests on specific physical properties of tablets compressed from the test granulations.