Encapsulated Active Ingredient Granules via Continuous Melt Granulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing granulation processes for fat-soluble microcapsules are inefficient, environmentally harmful, and risk damaging the active ingredients due to the use of solvents, leading to poor flowability and stability of the granules.
Innovation Solution
A continuous melt granulation process using a twin-screw extruder with a specific mixture of edible binder and filler, avoiding solvents and maintaining low temperatures to protect the microcapsules, resulting in flowable and stable water-dispersible granules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wet granulation using water as solvent is used, then granules can be formed, but significant energy is needed to evaporate water and hydrolysis of active ingredient occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the granulation method from wet granulation to melt granulation, fundamentally altering the process parameters by using heat to melt the binder instead of water as a solvent. This eliminates the need for subsequent evaporation steps and associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of the binder from solid to liquid state through melting, allowing the binder to flow and form granules without requiring water evaporation. The binder is heated above its melting point to become liquid, facilitating granule formation, then cooled to solidify the granules.
2Ease of manufacture
If wet granulation using water as solvent is used, then granules can be formed, but hydrolysis of active ingredient occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the granulation method from wet granulation to melt granulation, fundamentally altering the process parameters by using heat to melt the binder instead of water as a solvent. This eliminates the need for subsequent evaporation steps and associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of the binder from solid to liquid state through melting, allowing the binder to flow and form granules without requiring water evaporation. The binder is heated above its melting point to become liquid, facilitating granule formation, then cooled to solidify the granules.
3Ease of manufacture
If organic solvents are used in wet granulation, then granules can be formed, but harmful residues and negative environmental impacts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the granulation method from wet granulation to melt granulation, fundamentally altering the process parameters by using heat to melt the binder instead of water or organic solvents as a solvent. This eliminates the need for subsequent evaporation steps and associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of the binder from solid to liquid state through melting, allowing the binder to flow and form granules without requiring water evaporation. The binder is heated above its melting point to become liquid, facilitating granule formation, then cooled to solidify the granules.
4Ease of manufacture
If batch processing is used in heated powder bed or conventional high-shear mixers, then granulation can be performed, but processing efficiency is low due to waiting between batches
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs continuous melt granulation in an extruder, where the granulation process operates continuously without interruption between batches. The extruder maintains continuous feeding of powder and binder, continuous mixing and granulation, and continuous discharge of finished granules, eliminating idle time between batches.
5Ease of manufacture
If microcapsules are granulated to improve flowability, then granules are obtained, but microcapsules and their content may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses melt granulation with controlled temperature parameters, heating the binder above its melting point but maintaining temperatures that do not damage the microcapsules. The process parameters are optimized to balance binder melting with microcapsule protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The binder acts as an intermediary material that facilitates granule formation without directly contacting or damaging the microcapsules. The binder melts and forms a matrix around the microcapsules, binding them together gently without mechanical stress or chemical damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process produces granules with improved flowability and stability, reducing solvent use and environmental impact while preserving the integrity of the encapsulated active ingredients.
Implementation Method 1
During continuous melt granulation, the binder of the mixture is molten or at least softened
Implementation Method 2
Some fat-soluble active ingredients are temperature sensitive. Prohibitively high temperature should be avoided when running the continuous melt granulation process
Implementation Method 3
melt granulation operates via similar principles as wet granulation but typically uses a molten binder as a granulation fluid to establish liquid bridges between the particles
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to water-soluble or water-dispersible granules that are obtainable by continuous melt granulation. In an embodiment, the granules comprise at least one binder, at least one filler and microcapsules that encapsulate fat-soluble active ingredients.