Abstract
Spray drying is an extensively used technique for particle size reduction of many pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products. BÜchi Corporation manufactures two spray dryers for lab-scale production of spray dried product called Mini Spray Dryer B-290 and Nano Spray Dryer B-90. While the B-290 is able to generate microparticles, the B-90 claims to produce nanoparticles. The aim of this project was to design a novel nozzle that can aid in production of nanoparticles when incorporated in B-290 and eliminating the need to invest in and operate a separate spray dryer to produce nano-particles. A nano-nozzle was created using the Aeroneb® Solo, a modified commercial nebulizer, which contains a vibrating plate enabled to produce nanoparticles. Incorporation of the nano-nozzle in B-290 was found to be comparatively user-friendly and offers a solution to the problems encountered on the use of B-90.|To gauge the functioning of nano-nozzle and provide proof to the concept, three excipients, lactose, hydroxypropyl cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol, were spray dried using nano-nozzle. Aqueous or hydroalcoholic solutions of the excipients were prepared and spray dried using the nano-nozzle incorporated in the B-290 and the product obtained was compared with that obtained using the conventional nozzle in B-290 and B-90.|The obtained yield of spherical particles in de-agglomerated and free-flowing was found to be higher using the nano-nozzle in the B-290 as opposed to the conventional nozzle in B-290 and B- 90. The particle size distribution showed no significant difference (p<0.05) between the use of the nano-nozzle and B-90, with mean particle sizes ranging from 300-500 nm. Also, surface morphology was similar between the powders spray dried using B-90 and nano-nozzle. The physical state characteristics remained unchanged (as seen in Differential Scanning Calorimetry results) and the chemical entity of the excipients remained unaffected (results from Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy) on using the two fluid nozzle of the Mini spray dryer B-290, nozzle of the Nano spray dryer and nano-nozzle. Use of nano-nozzle in a B-290 is a substitute to the B-90 for spray drying to produce nanoparticles. Additional investigations are necessary for potential use in laboratory scale or industrial generation of nanoparticles.