Incorporation of Ingredients into Pharmaceutical powders
In the preparation of Pharmaceutical powders, some unusual modifications are followed for combination of some of the substances. The modified procedures are as follows:
- Hygroscopic and deliquescent powders:
- Many substances, like zinc chloride and sodium bromide, have a great propensity for absorbing moisture from the air.
- These materials even liquefy when the moisture absorption exceeds the limits. To expose the smaller surface area to the atmosphere, such chemicals are typically utilized in the granular form rather than the powder form.
- These powders need to be double wrapped.
- Volatile substances:
- Once incorporated into the powder, substances containing volatile oils undergo volatilization in the atmosphere.
- These substances include menthol, camphor, and others. These substances should be packaged using heat-sealed plastic bags and double wrapping with an inner waxed paper layer and an outside bond paper layer.
- Eutectic powders:
- When triturated and combined, substances with low melting points will create a powder blend with a lower melting point than the sum of their individual melting points, which will have a lower temperature and, as a result, liquefy.
- The compounds thymol, menthol, camphor, phenol, aspirin, etc. are examples of eutectic chemicals. Each type of powder should be taken as a dose, and the components of these powders should be distributed separately.
- Another alternate approach involves mixing together the eutectic materials without applying pressure while adding twice as much of an inert high melting point diluent such magnesium carbonate, light magnesium oxide, kaolin, or talc, etc.
- Efflorescent powders:
- A powder liquefies when it comes into contact with crystalline substances, which, when present, allow water to crystallize.
- These include, but are not limited to, citric acid, ferrous sulphate, caffeine, etc. Use of these drugs’ anhydrous salts is a treatment.
- Liquids:
- Liquids are added to a powder substance by first triturating a tiny concentration of the liquid with an equal amount of powder, and then adding the remaining powder in many sections.
Related: Preparation of Pharmaceutical Powders, Incorporation of Ingredients into Pharmaceutical powders