Determination of microsphere solidification time in the solvent evaporation process

Abstract

The aim of this work was to define the time of microsphere solidification during the solvent evaporation process. Microspheres were prepared by the solvent evaporation method, using acetone/liquid paraffin solvent system, ketoprofen as a model drug and Eudragit RS as a matrix polymer. Two sets of experiments were performed—in the first one the initial temperature of the emulsion system was 5°C and in the second one 25°C. In each set, two batches of microspheres were compared at constant emulsion stirring rate 250 and 1000 rpm and intermediate batches where the emulsion stirring rate was lowered from 1000 to 250 rpm at pre-defined times after the beginning of the inner phase solvent evaporation. By comparison of the properties of these microspheres, an insight was obtained into the mechanism of microspheres formation. The criterion for determination of microsphere solidification time was the resemblance between the microsphere properties of the batches prepared by stirring rate change and the batch prepared by constant stirring at 1000 rpm. A stirring rate change after the solidification has no influence on microsphere properties, that means that they are the same as of the batch prepared by constant stirring at 1000 rpm. The results of the sieve analysis and particle size distribution of microspheres show that the time of microspheres solidification is in the interval between 15–20 min if the initial temperature is 5°C and between 10–20 min if the initial temperature is 25°C. From the release profiles of ketoprofen, one can infer that the times of solidification for both initial temperatures are a bit lower. The microscopic pictures, which enable one to follow the processes in the system, confirmed the result obtained by the sieve analysis. In spite of its inability to distinguish between single particles and agglomerates, the sieve analysis enabled one to determine the actual time of solidification, while the drug release determination was not sensitive enough to trace small differences in surface area due to particles aggregation.