ABSTRACT
Spray drying is presently one of the most widely used and promising technologies in the pharmaceutical industry. It is an ideal process where the end product would comply with precise quality standards regarding particle size distribution, residual moisture/ solvent content, bulk density and morphology. Spray drying uses the aerosol phase to dry the particles. In this process, an atomized stream to be dried is made to come in contact with a gas stream that is at a higher temperature than the liquid stream. Higher temperature of the gas stream causes evaporation of the liquid from the droplets, thus forming particles. One advantage of spray drying is the remarkable versatility of the technology, evident when analyzing the multiple applications and the wide range of products that can be obtained. From very fine particles for pulmonary delivery to big agglomerated powders for oral dosages, from amorphous to crystalline products and the potential for one-step formulations.
