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As polypropylene (PP) has no charring ability on its own due to the lack of hydroxyl functional groups, the flame retardant system needs the addition of carbonizing agent in a relatively great amount. Ammonium-polyphosphate (APP), a conventional flame retardant additive was modified by microencapsulation with a sorbitol-based bioepoxy resin shell to create an intumescent flame retardant system with enhanced charring ability for PP. The flame retardant efficiency of the microencapsulated additive, which contains all the components needed in an effective intumescent flame retardant system, was evaluated in PP matrix at different loadings. When compared to the physical mixture of the component, the microencapsuated form of APP (MCAPP) was found to have improved flame retardant efficiency in PP. The LOI values of the MCAPP containing PP samples increased by 8–11 V/V% besides achieved V-0 classification according to the UL94 test. During cone calorimeter tests, the burning intensity was reduced (peak of heat release rate decreased by 20–35% and shifted in time), increased amount of charred residue was obtained, and based on the calculated Flame Retardancy Index (FRI) “Excellent” fire performance was achieved when MCAPP was used. The improved flame retardant performance is attributed to the effective interaction between the APP core and the readily available carbonizing shell, which promoted the formation of increased amount of char accompanied with improved heat protecting and barrier efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homogeneous ultralow-dose (30 mg) tablets were prepared from perfectly free-flowing granules manufactured by continuous Twin-Screw Wet Granulation. The gravimetrically fed mixture of lactose and potato starch of low particle size was successfully agglomerated and the size enlargement technology proved to be very robust. Since the incorporated drug was dissolved in ethanolbased granulation liquid, the resulting homogeneity largely depended on the dosing of the applied liquid administering units. A peristaltic pump generated higher deviation of the drug content in tablets (Relative Standard Deviation (RSD): 7.7%) compared to a syringe pump (RSD: 2.3%) or a piston pump (RSD: 4.6%). This is due to the pulsation of the liquid flow generated by the peristaltic pump according to the real-time measured mass of the fed liquid. A good correlation was found between the RSD of the liquid mass flow (calculated from the recorded masses) and the RSD of the drug content. Based on the results, the goodness of Content Uniformity, as the most relevant critical quality attribute of low-dose products, was determined by the characteristics of the applied dosing units. The feeding characteristic of the different pumps could be easily measured by the introduced balance-based method and therefore, the applicability of the pumps could be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well designed (multilayer, adaptive, reactive) interphases, being a key element of multicomponent structures, could be tailored to different requirements through controlled technologies. This is the link connecting various green, safe, healthy materials and innovative pharmaceuticals. Upgraded recycling could be performed by interfacial consolidation of self-reinforced composites, the flame retardancy of which is feasible with surprisingly low amount of flame retardant. Examples are shown how the reinforced and foamed forms of thermosetting and thermoplastic biopolymers can play a significant role (after flame retardant modification) in the development of airplanes and electric cars. Biopolymer nanofibres, such as polycaprolactone and polyhydroxybutyrate, could be formed with increased productivity for various medical uses. Raman-based control of the units of integrated continuous technologies has been elaborated including controlled formation of crystals with polymer interlayer for direct tableting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale fibers were prepared for the fabrication of scaffolds by using a strong electrostatic field on the polymer solution. Electrospinning is widely applied for production of drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine systems as well as biosensors and enzyme immobilization. Nanofibers, thanks to their high surface area to volume ratio, can also mimic the extracellular matrix, thus it has been recognized as a suitable technique for the fast fabrication of scaffolds. This article demonstrates the fabrication of several nanofibrous scaffolds from biopolymers such as polycaprolactone, poly(lactic acid), poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lactideco-caprolactone) and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxy valerate). The characterization and comparison of the scaffolds were achieved based on the morphology and surface characteristic of the nanofibers. The samples showed hydrophobic characteristic, thus a plasma surface treatment was applied successfully to increase hydrophilicity and the effect of the treatment was evaluated based on the wettability and the change in elemental composition of the surface based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel medicated straws were developed based on drug-loaded electrospun fibers prepared by direct current electrospinning (DCES) and high-speed electrospinning (HSES) of scaled-up productivity. Good quality micro- and nanofibers were electrospun using both techniques despite the multiple times higher throughput rate of HSES based on the scanning electron microscopic imaging (SEM). Solid state analyses revealed that the poorly soluble model drug carvedilol (CAR) was dispersed in an amorphous form in the electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVPK30) fibers. In vitro dissolution studies revealed ultrafast drug release from the prepared fibrous formulations inserted into plastic straws. Based on the results the developed drug delivery system is suitable for storing the formulation in a solid dosage form and in situ turning it into liquid form when administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral imaging was applied to provide quantitative spatial information about pharmaceutical samples. The aim was to characterize the distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in manufactured samples quantitatively. Two kind of API, imipramine and spironolactone were applied in three conventional and two continuous processing technologies. The homogeneity of distributions of 10% API was determined through Raman maps applying macropixel analysis method. Non-overlapping macropixel analysis (Poole-index) and calculation of distributional homogeneity indices (DHIs) were compared as a measure of homogeneity. Non-overlapping macropixel approach proved to be more sensible than DHI evaluation. For enhancing efficacy of DHI we suggest a correction by weighting scores and considering relative standard deviations. This way the capability of DHI can be improved significantly. The very slight differences between the continuous methods (the homogeneity of which are much higher than that of conventional technologies) could be quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]