13.07.2015 Views

Development of hot-melt extrusion as a novel technique for the ...

Development of hot-melt extrusion as a novel technique for the ...

Development of hot-melt extrusion as a novel technique for the ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

parameters such <strong>as</strong> screw speed, temperature and <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e pressure [14] . This electronic controlunit acts <strong>as</strong> a monitoring device <strong>as</strong> well. The typical length diameter ratios (L/D) <strong>of</strong> screwspositioned inside <strong>the</strong> stationary barrel are ano<strong>the</strong>r important characteristic to consider whe<strong>the</strong>r<strong>the</strong> <strong>extrusion</strong> equipment is a single screw or twin screw extruder. The L/D <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> screw ei<strong>the</strong>r ina single screw extruder or a twin screw extruder typically ranges from 20 to 40:1(mm). In c<strong>as</strong>e<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> pilot plant extruders <strong>the</strong> diameters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> screws significantly ranges from18-30 mm. In pharmaceutical scale up, <strong>the</strong> production machines are much larger with diameterstypically exceeding 50 - 60 mm [15] . In addition, <strong>the</strong> dimensions <strong>of</strong> a screw change over <strong>the</strong>length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> barrel. In <strong>the</strong> most advanced processing equipment <strong>for</strong> <strong>extrusion</strong>, <strong>the</strong> screws couldbe separated by clamps or be extended in proportion to <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> barrel itself. A b<strong>as</strong>icsingle screw extruder consists <strong>of</strong> three discrete zones: feed zone, compression and a meteringzone (Fig. 1.2). Under <strong>the</strong> compression zone which is b<strong>as</strong>ically know <strong>as</strong> processing zone couldbe accompanied by few o<strong>the</strong>r steps such <strong>as</strong> mixing, kneading, venting etc [13, 15] .Fig. 1.2: Schematic diagram <strong>of</strong> a single screw extruder [10] .The depth along with <strong>the</strong> pitch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> screw flights (both perpendicular and axial) differwithin each zone, generating dissimilar pressures along <strong>the</strong> screw length (Fig. 1.3). Normally <strong>the</strong>pressure within <strong>the</strong> feed zone is very low in order to allow <strong>for</strong> consistent feeding from <strong>the</strong>hopper and gentle mixing <strong>of</strong> API, polymers and o<strong>the</strong>r excipients and <strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e <strong>the</strong> screw flightdepth and pitch are kept larger than that <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r zones. At this stage <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> process <strong>the</strong> pressurewithin <strong>the</strong> extruder is very low which subsequently gets incre<strong>as</strong>ed in <strong>the</strong> compression zone. Thisresult in a gradual incre<strong>as</strong>e in pressure along <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compression zone effectivelyimparts a high degree <strong>of</strong> mixing and compression to <strong>the</strong> material by decre<strong>as</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> screw pitchand/or <strong>the</strong> flight depth [9, 15] . Moreover <strong>the</strong> major aim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> compression zone is not only to4 | P a g e

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!