Development of a fluidized-bed coater for pharmaceutical application

Abstract

Objective of this research is to develop fluidized bed coater for pharmaceutical industry. The investigatiion of influence of operating variables (fluidizing air velocity, fluidizing air temperature) and type of nozzle (binary and ultrasonic renonator) on coated particles properties, namely, film thickness, percent weight gain, percent yield, percent agglomerate, morphology, packed bulk density, angle of repose and dissolution time have been carried out. From experimental results, it is found that when fluidizing air velocity and fluidizing air temperature are increased effect on percent weight gain, percent yield, angle of repose, film thickness and roughness of surface morphology increasing. Because higher air velocity produces good circulation of particles inthe column, meanwhile increasing air temperature reduce moisture content in fluidized bed coater. While packed bulk density and percent agglomerate is decreased due to reducing moisture film coated and increasing film coated sticked the core particles. Considered from the solubility time of coated particles is found that fluidizing air temperature has little effect on the characteristic. The phenomena mentioned above are found in case of using binary and ultrasonic resonator. Comparison of physical property obtained from two nozzle has no difference, but droplet size distribution of ultrasonic resonator is smaller than producing from binary nozzle.