Twin screw granulation - review of current progress

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Twin screw granulation (TSG) is an emerging continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing process.
• TSG offers advantages over traditional high shear batch mixers, including lower liquid concentrations and enhanced product consistency.
• Despite growing research, direct comparisons between studies are limited, and challenges in scalability and complex formulations remain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on wet granulation processes utilizing twin screw extrusion (TSE) machinery.
• To summarize the impact of operational and system parameters on granule properties within TSG.
• To offer practical insights for researchers and professionals new to TSG technology.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of twin screw granulation studies.
• Analysis of operational parameters (e.g., screw speed, feed rate, liquid addition rate) and their effect on granulation.
• Examination of machinery configuration variables (e.g., screw design, barrel length) influencing granule attributes.

Main Results:

• Identified key process variables and machinery configurations affecting granule properties in TSG.
• Highlighted the influence of liquid concentration, degree of channel fill, and powder formulation on granulation outcomes.
• Documented the benefits of TSG, such as continuous processing and improved granule characteristics.

Conclusions:

• TSG is a promising continuous granulation technology for pharmaceutical applications.
• Understanding the interplay between process parameters, machine design, and formulation is crucial for successful TSG implementation.
• Further research is needed to address scalability and the granulation of complex pharmaceutical powders using TSG.