Development of a new type nozzle and spray-drier for industrial production of fine powders

• Published in: European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics 2000-01, Vol.49 (1), p.79-85
• Main Authors: Hino, Tomoaki, Shimabayashi, Saburo, Ohnishi, Naozumi, Fujisaki, Minoru, Mori, Hiroyuki, Watanabe, Osami, Kawashima, Katsushi, Nagao, Koji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air/liquid flow ratio; Biological and medical sciences; Equipment Design; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Mist; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Nozzle; Particle Size; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Powders; Spray-drier; Spray-drying; Technology, Pharmaceutical - instrumentation
• ISSN: 0939-6411; 1873-3441
• DOI: 10.1016/S0939-6411(99)00060-0

Sophisticated nozzle and spray-drier were newly developed. The nozzle type was that of four-phase spraying, where two liquid streams and two air streams were blown off. The spray pattern from the nozzle was of a hollow-cone type. Mean diameter of droplets in the mist was 13.2 μm in weight average in the condition of blowing at 776 g/min in air flow and 500 ml/min in liquid flow. That is, the weight-based flow ratio of air to liquid was as small as 1.55. The geometric standard deviation of the droplet size was less than 1.65. This nozzle was still available for a concentrated suspension up to 27% solid without formation of the sludge on the orifice. Thus, fine powder with 1.99 μm in mean diameter was obtained by means of the nozzle and the spray-drier newly developed by us. These are promising for industrial production of the fine powder with low energy and high recovery.