ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Drying is a ubiquitous process in the handling and preparation of pharmaceuticals, and it may be defined as the vaporization and removal of water or other liquid from a solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid mixture to form a dry solid. The change of phase from liquid to vapor distinguishes drying from mechanical methods of separating solids from liquids such as filtration. The latter often precede drying since, where applicable, they offer a cost-effective method for removing a large part of the liquid.