Background / Requirement
Pharmaceutical companies worldwide have been using the Comil
for removing lumps from pharmaceutical wet masses. In the
tablet manufacturing process, powders such as lactose, the
active ingredient, binders and water or solvent are mixed
to form a wet mass. This process can be carried out in various
types of mixers. The high shear mixer/granulator is often
used to mix and granulate this wet mass.
A large, North American pharmaceutical company had approached
Quadro with an application to remove lumps from a pharmaceutical
wet mass, (lactose + active ingredient). A high shear mixer
was discharging material containing lumps of up to 4 inches
in diameter. These lumps, when passed through a dryer, would
not dry all the way through. This caused case hardening, uneven
moisture distribution and some product overdrying due to the
excessive time required to completely dry the larger lumps.
The large, hard lumps with moist centers also caused problems
in milling after the dryer. A Hammermill created excessive
fines and shutdowns due to screen blinding.
Comil
Performance
The Comil model was able to accept the direct
discharge of the mixer on a “choke” (flood) feed basis
at a capacity of 10,000 lb/hr (4,500 kg/hr). Discharge
from the Comil consisted of a free flowing granular
product that was 100% (-) 4 mesh U.S. standard.
Summary
Due to the greatly enhanced surface area of the wet
product produced by the Comil, drying time using a
tray dryer was reduced by 60% over the previous method.
The product dried evenly and quickly. Product overdrying
was no longer a problem. Downstream dry milling, now
performed by a Comil, was greatly enhanced. Much of
the product exiting the dryer was already properly sized
for the tableting process.
This is an excellent trouble-free Comil application.
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