Pharmaceutical Spheronizers

The Marumerizer™ spheronizer from LCI, manufactured by Fuji Paudal, is being used to produce smooth, uniform spheres (pharmaceutical beads) in a wide range of applications.

Spheronization can improve your product's performance by:

• Producing a smooth particle surface suitable for thin layer coating.
• Forming granules with a specific bio-consumable shape.
• Conditioning particles to prevent generation of dust and fines from usage or shipping.
• Increasing flowability by elimination of sticking or bridging points.
• Increasing the apparent bulk density up to 25% compared to extruded material.
  

Production scale spheronizers are available in the following models for pharmaceutical applications:

QJ-400TG, QJ-700TG, and QJ-700TWG - Learn which size is right for your process

For details on specific models, visit our Resource Center.

How It Works

The Marumerizer is comprised of three main components: a vertical cylinder with discharge port, a circular "friction" plate and a variable speed drive train which turns the plate.

The feed material to the spheronizer can be extruded particles or moist granules from a mixer/granulator. Since an extruded particle has at least two dimensions already defined, a narrow final particle size distribution is possible.

Particles are fed onto the spinning friction plate, which throws them against the inside wall of the cylinder. Extruded particles are quickly broken into segments approximately one diameter long. Centrifugal and gravitational forces create a mechanically fluidized ring of particles. Collisions with the wall, friction plate and other particles result in the plastic deformation of each granule, quickly creating a spherical shape. The desired shape for a specific application is time and formulation dependent and is achieved, predictably and repeatedly, in a brief period called the "spheronization time".