Crystallization of bulk samples of partially amorphous spray-dried lactose

The crystallization of partially amorphous spray-dried lactose was studied as a function of sample size. Crystallization occurred gradually over a period of 80 hr for a 95-g sample. The water content during crystallization was lower than that needed to cause crystallization if it had been distributed evenly throughout the bed, thus the absorbed water must have been unevenly distributed. The weight of the sample continued to change for days after crystallization was completed, because of the slow desorption of condensed water and the very slow formation of the hydrate form. Surprisingly, all samples with a weight between 42 and 95 g were found to take up the same mass (not percent) of water at the same time. This provides further evidence that the water was not evenly distributed throughout the sample. Water loss after this peak differed in the different weight samples, with the largest weights resulting in the lowest residual weight after 2 weeks. Only the sample of 22 g load had a different peak weight and a much lower weight loss after crystallization. This study provides detail of how partially amorphous bulk samples crystallize.