156 _ Equipment for Sugar Coating and
‘Thinner layers in combination with reduced
drying times make the film coating process
far less time-consuming than sugar coating
operations (see Chapter 1.4, Types of Coat
ings). Most coating processes consist of the
unit operations [5] mixing, spraying and dry-
ing.
7.1.1 Mixing and Tumbling
Motions in Coating
Equipment
‘The unit operation of mixing the cores is im-
Portant to obtain smooth, uniform coatings.
‘The requisite mixing effect is achieved by
‘tumbling and rolling the core bed in a defined
‘manner (6, 7}
Care must be taken, however, that the
shear effects do not become so pronounced
as to cause excessive abrasion,
Conventional coating pans provide a very
Processes
favorable motion of the core bed for coating
purposes. They rotate on an inclined axis, sq
that two basic motions are superimposed,
‘The resulting combined motion lies between
the two limits, ic. a aumbling motion about
the horizontal axis and a cerarifugal motion
about the vertical axis (Figure 7-1).
In order to achieve the most favorable
‘overall motion, the speed of rotation of the
pan must first be regulated to ensure cascad
ing ofthe cores, with the coating bed describ.
ing @ tumbling motion. Pan speeds must
never be so high as to cause cataracting ofthe
cores or induce them to fall freely. The larger
the coating pans, the lower the required num.
ber of rotations per minute (Table 7-1, The
sizes and shapes of the cores also have an in-
fluence on the most favorable pan speed. At.
tempts have been made to determine the
‘most effective number of pan revolutions
from the core cycling time and the pan ro-
tational speed (8). Large pans normally have
a constant number of revolutions and are
usually not inclined from the horizontal.
Intuanoe of ental
ter oy
Waa
———
Fig. 7-1. Rotation about vertical and horizontal axes
‘Table 7-1, Speeds of rotation for vatlous pa sizes
limits ofthe motions occurring in pans rotating on
Pan diameter in am 500-600
= a00-1300 1600
Speed rage in rpm 35
2 2s 175 _~158s
Fig. 7-2. Zones of
the core bed ina coat
‘The kinetic processes occurring in coating
pans were first analyzed using cine-cameras
in 1968. This resulted in the definition of
three arcas of tumbling action, identified by
the Roman numerals I 10 IIL (Figure 7-2)
‘They can be clearly distinguished in the
transparent model coating pan (Figure 7-3)
In area I (thick dotted circle), referred to
asa slow-moving vortex, the cores move in a
largely uncontrolled manner and without
turning over. They remain at the surface for a
prolonged time, describing a serpentine-like
motion. Area 1 i one end of the “dead” or
Process Parameters 157
slow-moving zone, which extends beneath
the surface of the entire core bed. “Dead”
zones are created wherever countercurrent
layers meet
Area II represents the main tumbling ac-
tion. It is subdivided into partial movements
Ha-e, In area Ia the coating bed is pressed
against the pan wall under its own weight and
by centrifugal force. It moves upward in the
direetion of the rotating pan, at the same
speed. This is the area of pure apparent or
relative motion. In area I1b the radial upward
movement Ha ends, since gravitation now
dominates over centrifugal force, The ap-
parent motion changes to proper motion, and
the cores start rolling downward. In area He
the cores have the highest potential energy:
In area Td the peak of proper motion is
reached, ie. the coating bed develops its max:
imum kinetic energy. In area Ie the motion
of the downward-rolling cores is checked by
ated bed or the pan wall, and
the ace
most of their energy is lst in the form of im-
pact foree, Between the core bed layers rising
in lative motion and those flowing
downwaed by proper motion lies the “dead
zone.” This extends beneath the surface
aeross the entire bed, and only in coating
pans rotating ona illed axis does it emerge at
the surface at an exactly defined point. Figure
7-3 outlines (by thin dotted lines) the loca
TET
BFE
Fig. 7-3. (a) Zones of tumbling action t be observed in tansparent,coating pan [7]- Figure () shows the slow
‘moving aren land the thin doted line
isthe ane of fastest surface movertent
fhe extension ofthis zone beneath the surface, eros the cove bed.
(oy and () are
oF less the eross Sections (Tor detalls see te)
Fig 730d >tion ofthe invisible “dead” zone [9]. Areas in
which little motion occurs ean have an un
favorable influence on coating results, At-
tempts have been made to reduce this in-
fluence by the provision of baffles and blades.
In doing so, it must be borne in mind that the
downward-flowing layers are flatter and the
upward-moving ones deeper. Thorough
mixing ofthe core bed is as important for uni-
form application of the coating formulation
as for effective drying, Area III (thick dotted
circle) is the zone with the fastest surface mo-
tion. The coating fluid should be sprayed or
ppoured into this zone if rapid distribution is
desived
7.1.2 Spraying and Spray
Systems
Spraying processes belong to the unit opera-
tion of comminution (5)
Pharmaceutical coating formulations can
be atomized by means of airless spray nozzles
with high-pressure pumps or ar-driven spray
nozles with compressed air (10). Spraying
With high-pressure airless nozzles is hy:
drodynamie process. The formulations to be
sprayed or atomized have 10 be exposed to
hhigh pressures (50-150 bar), using pumps or
compressors. The spray effect of airless
nozzles depends not only on the viscosity and
surface lension of the coating fluid and the
nozzle desiga, but also on the uniformity and
intensity of the applied pressure. Thus, con-
sistent results can only be achieved at con-
stant pressure. Spraying with low-pressure air
nozzles is a kinematic atomization process,
“The coating fluids have to be accelerated to
high speeds, cg. by means of a blast of com:
pressed ait. This is usually done at pressures
of 0 to 3 bar. Air nozzles have larger aper
tures than airless ones and are therefore
‘more robust and flexible in use, especially as
far as the spraying of suspensions, dispersions
‘or high-viscosity fluids is concerned, The
clogging tendency is considerably reduced.
Another advantage of air nozzles is that spray
and fluid delivery rate are easier to control
than with airless nozzles, which are highly
sensitive to pressure fluctuations. It must be
borne in mind that atomization by com-
pressed air has a much higher evaporation ef-
fect. This may be advantageous for aqueous
formulations, but is a disadvantage in the
presence of organic solvents if the atomized
particles dry before reaching the cores. When
air nozales are used (0 spray into conven-
tional pans that are either unvented or not
sufficiently vented, a certain degree of air
blockage or backup has to be accepted. This
phenomenon does not occur with airless
nazzles. In the case of coating equipment
‘with improved or optimized air circulation,
eg, perforated pans, fluid-bed or air-suspen.
sion equipment, air blockage cannot occur. so
that air nozales are not a problem. The sprays
emerging from the latter show both an effec-
tive zane and a scatter zone (Figure 74). A
certain distanee between nozzle and coating
bed must, therefore, be observed to ensure
adequate and uniform wetting of the largest
[:
Arey
BSS cucne win
ae ee Satie
sets Shen
ces nono a
Fig. 7-4, Spray of om air nozzle
Process Par: 59
possible numberof cores. Since nl pe
tues cannot be enrged indefitly. the
Ma every ate most en ness by
sing several noses or nowles with several
Phe latest development in this field is the
ihcrchanel or thre-componen rem
Thais an ano with an ational hen
nel (igre 3) chrogh which a second ps
Gr comprnen ean be inidiced wo eeate a
spec microdimate sound the nae!
very afl when ai ocr with area
tel high minim li-forming tempera
ture (MPT) i used. The MET of aqteous
Site spensns, for example, Hes be
tween 3 and 33%: depending onthe Past
fore required for coating operations. 1
ince chanel worl employed. owevet
foweemperaure ait canbe. introduced
through the adtona chanel. The ada
tage a ths provedre fete fnation of
renvely ool mierclinate around the
now nse the spray Hi fst passes
thazone of moderate temperature ahd ex
cesie spay drying or logging ofthe nozle
i prevented. Only when the droplets have
Teac the surface of the cores ithe ol
tone (macrorliate) does the tal ying
proces begin