Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.40, No.7, 1282-1292, 2017
Particle Engineering of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient for Improved Micromeritic Properties
A range of particle-engineering techniques were applied to modify unfavorable bulk solid properties of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), with the solid-state form of the compound remaining constant. The compound under investigation has been crystallized as needle-like particles, which lead to poor powder-flow properties, ineffective processing, and problematic formulation behavior. The results show that design and optimization of a cooling crystallization procedure as well as application of alternative approaches, i.e., spherical agglomeration, additive-controlled crystallization, or ultrasonication, can improve the solid-state properties of the studied compound. The improvements were quantified by measuring bulk density and flowability, and by comparing the jet-milling behavior.