Effects of Blade Design in Wet Granulation in a High Shear Mixer Determined by Positron Emission Particle Tracking

Abstract

Wet granulation in high shear mixer is important in reducing potential environmental and safety hazards. A complex mechanism dominates high shear mixer granulation because there is an enormous range of geometries and designs for the mixer. This study is the first report of the effects of blade design on wet granulation in high shear mixer. In this study, two designs of blade were used to compare the granulation, and it was determined that the flat blade resulted in no granule or lump formation, while the beveled blade resulted in good granule formation. Positron emission particle tracking was used in order to investigate the effects of different impeller designs in wet granulation in a high shear mixer. These results should prove useful in improving process design in order to optimize the final granules, and in improving the quality of the resultant product.