Extrusion Research Articles

Effect of Rheological on the Physical and Electrical Properties of Extruded Micro Carbon -LLDPE Composites

This study focuses on formulating and optimizing a conductive polymer composite (CPC) material tailored for electromechanical applications. Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) polymer and micro carbon particles derived from rice husk were compounded using a hot compaction process and melt blended through a single-screw extrusion machine. A mix of 50% loading of microcarbon particles was used in this research. It was determined that the experiment was successfully conducted, resulting in a stabilized density of approximately 1 g/cm³. The research demonstrates how the prototype Extruder Head effectively stabilizes the density of composites. Electrical conductivity demonstrated a notable increase in conductivity toward higher density. These findings underscore the successful development of a CPC material with improved electrical conductivity, making it a highly suitable tool for high carbon-loading composite material.

Single-screw extrusion performance for LLDPE resin as a function of compression ratio

High-quality polyethylene film and sheet must be free of solid polymer fragments and degraded resin. Moreover, the products must be produced at high rates to minimize conversion costs. Thus, the extruder must produce a homogenous extrudate at the proper discharge temperature and pressure. The screw design and process operating parameters are key. A key screw design parameter is the compression ratio. This paper experimentally studies how the compression ratio affects a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin extrusion process. A 2.8 compression ratio screw was optimal for LLDPE resin. Significant solid polymer fragments were observed in the extrudate for 2.8 to 3.6 compression ratio screws at 110 rpm and higher. For 2.0 and 2.4 compression ratio screws at less than 50 rpm, the internal pressures in the extruder were relatively low. At screw speeds 50 rpm and higher, the specific rates for all screws were higher than the calculated specific rotational rate, creating negative axial pressure gradients in the metering sections.

An Innovative Approach to Closing the Loop in a Circular Plastic Economy by Upcycling Single-Use Post-consumer Thin Film Plastic Packaging Waste into Durable Plastic Products

AbstractThe waste system requires a circular economy business solution to upcycle millions of tonnes of contaminated post-consumer single-use multi-material, multilayer, plastic packaging films/foils. This waste is rarely collected for recycling, firstly because the market for such waste is new and very small, and secondly due to technical issues and cross-contamination at waste recycling facilities. Conventionally, two linear disposal routs exist, energy recovery through incineration or landfill, both having an economic cost. Being very lightweight, plastics are blown around and end up contaminating terrestrial and marine environments. This paper evaluates intrusion extrusion moulding technology with agglomeration to make products. With a 50-year first lifespan and nine more life cycles, they can be used multiple times as a substitute for wood and concrete. Public bodies can catalyse the intrusion extrusion moulding manufacturing industry by including such products during their procurement processes. The technology works and the business can be profitable.

Enhancement of Corn Flour with Carob Bean for Innovative Gluten-Free Extruded Products.

The aim of this work is to study new, extruded products based on corn flour enriched with carob bean and the evaluation of its functional quality to develop novel gluten-free food products. Five samples based on corn flour with added carob bean flour (5 to 12.5%) were formulated. Extrusion was performed using a single-screw laboratory extruder at pilot plant scale. Extrusion parameters such as color and carbohydrate content (fiber, sucrose, and starch) were evaluated. Carob bean addition led to an increase in starch, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber. Texture parameters related to hardness (crunchiness) were significantly reduced with the addition of CB (p < 0.05), detectable from a 5% addition of CB and not significant with more CB content. Samples became browner with the addition of CB; however, when the concentrations of CB are high (>5%) no major differences in color were observed. The extrusion process reduced the content of soluble and insoluble fiber, and sucrose in all formulated samples. Extruded samples with 5-7.5% CB seem to be the best formulation in terms of fiber content, color, and texture parameters. These innovative gluten-free foods could be considered as a source of fiber, and a healthier alternative to some commercially available snacks.

Development of Mathematical Function Control-Based 3D Printed Tablets and Effect on Drug Release.

The application of 3D printing technology in drug delivery is often limited by the challenges of achieving precise control over drug release profiles. The goal of this study was to apply surface equations to construct 3D printed tablet models, adjust the functional parameters to obtain multiple tablet models and to correlate the model parameters with the in vitro drug release behavior. This study reports the development of 3D-printed tablets using surface geometries controlled by mathematical functions to modulate drug release. Utilizing fused deposition modeling (FDM) coupled with hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology, personalized drug delivery systems were produced using thermoplastic polymers. Different tablet shapes (T1-T5) were produced by varying the depth of the parabolic surface (b = 4, 2, 0, -2, -4mm) to assess the impact of surface curvature on drug dissolution. The T5 formulation, with the greatest surface curvature, demonstrated the fastest drug release, achieving complete release within 4h. In contrast, T1 and T2 tablets exhibited a slower release over approximately 6h. The correlation between surface area and drug release rate was confirmed, supporting the predictions of the Noyes-Whitney equation. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses verified the uniform dispersion of acetaminophen and the consistency of the internal structures, respectively. The precise control of tablet surface geometry effectively tailored drug release profiles, enhancing patient compliance and treatment efficacy. This novel approach offers significant advancements in personalized medicine by providing a highly reproducible and adaptable platform for optimizing drug delivery.

Effects of nanosilica and nanocellulose on poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) nanocomposites for food packaging applications

AbstractPolymeric materials are highlighted in the global market due to their low cost, excellent properties, and diversity of applications, such as food packaging, which in addition to protecting packaged foods also promotes control and conservation against contaminants. Thus, the objective of this research is to investigate the effects of adding silica nanoparticles and cellulose nanofibers, alone and together, on the properties of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate), aiming for application in food packaging. For this purpose, PBAT and the nanofillers were initially mixed in a rheometer to produce masterbatches, and, then, to be processed by a single screw extruder to generate the nanocomposites. The nanocomposites are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance, tensile testing, water contact angle, and microbial permeability. In low concentrations, it is observed that the system tends to be less heterogeneous. Nanoparticles do not interfere with thermal stability and present a barrier to microorganisms. Interestingly, in the two conditions studied, polymers with cellulose nanofibers or silica nanoparticles have filtering capacity, being effective as physical barriers to the growth of microorganisms within 60 days. However, the effect on mechanical properties is small, being more pronounced with the use of cellulose nanofibers.

Melt-extruded formulations of fenofibrate with various grades of hydrogenated phospholipid exhibit promising in-vitro biopharmaceutical behavior

In the current study, it was demonstrated that three commercially available grades of hydrogenated phospholipids (HPL) differing in their content of phosphatidylcholine may be used as components for hot melt-extruded binary (HPL as sole excipient) or ternary (in combination with copovidone) solid dispersions of fenofibrate (FEN) at mass fractions between 0.5 and 20% (ternary) or 80% (binary). X-ray powder diffraction indicated complete conversion of crystalline fenofibrate into the amorphous state by hot melt extrusion for all ternary blends. In contrast, both the binary blends (HPL- and copovidone-based) contained minor remaining crystallites. Irrespectively, all solid dispersions induced during dissolution studies a supersaturated state of FEN, where the ternary ASDs showed enhanced and more complete release of FEN as compared to the binary blends and, even more pronounced, in comparison to the marketed micronized and nano-milled formulations. In terms of the cumulated amount permeated, there were marginal differences between the various formulations when combined dissolution/permeation was done using FeSSIF as donor medium; with FaSSIF as donor medium, the binary HPL-ASD containing the grade with the highest phosphatidylcholine fraction performed best in terms of permeation, even significantly better than the marketed nano-crystal formulation. Otherwise, no significant differences were seen between the various grades of HPL when FEN dissolution and permeation were analyzed for ternary solid dispersions. In conclusion, the in-vitro biopharmaceutical behaviour of hydrogenated phospholipid-containing blends manufactured by hot melt extrusion appears promising. They can be a viable formulation option for poorly water-soluble and lipophilic drug compounds like FEN.

Conversion of kraft lignin to hydrocarbons using an integrated molten salt pyrolysis/catalytic hydrotreatment approach

Thermochemical conversion of underutilized lignocellulosic streams such as kraft lignin from the pulp and paper industry has the potential to produce sustainable chemicals and biofuels. We here report a process to continuously convert softwood-based lignoboost lignin to hydrocarbons using a three-step approach: i) liquefaction/dispersion of the lignin in a suitable molten salt, ii) pyrolysis of the liquefied/dispersed lignin in a molten salt mixture (ZnCl2, KCl, and NaCl), to obtain a crude lignin oil and iii) upgrading of the lignin oil using a catalytic hydrotreatment to yield hydrocarbons. Step 1 and 2 were integrated using a twin screw extruder with different heating sections at a scale of 20 g/h lignin input. Besides char, a lignin oil, mainly composed of monomeric phenolics, and propylene were the major products. The highest yield of the latter two products was around 32 wt% (23 wt% crude lignin oil and 9 wt% propylene). The lignin oil was subsequently converted to hydrocarbons using a two-step catalytic hydrotreatment approach (stabilization step using CoMo/Al2O3 catalyst and a further deep hydrotreatment over a NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst). The final liquid product contained less than 0.5 wt% of oxygen and was shown to be rich in (cyclo)alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. The carbon yield for the overall conversion of lignin to hydrocarbons was 23 %.

Optimization and Validation of Extrusion Process Parameters for the Sensory Characteristics of Extruded Aerial Yam and Soybean Flour Blends

The aim of this study was to optimize and validate the extrusion process parameters (barrel temperature, screw speed, and feed moisture) for the sensory properties (texture, taste, appearance, and aroma) of extrudates made from blends of soybean and aerial yam flours. Five levels of barrel temperature (95, 100, 105, 110, and 115 °C), screw speed (85, 100, 115, 130, and 145 rpm), and feed moisture (31, 33, 35, 37, and 39%) were employed in 20 runs of the response surface methodology (RSM), which was based on the Box-Behnken design with three variables. A single-screw extruder at the laboratory scale was used to carry out the extrusion procedure. A high regression coefficient (R2 ≥ 0.9) indicates that the models are useful for navigating the design space. Numerical optimization results indicated that the optimal extrusion process parameters - barrel temperature of 114.12 °C, screw speed of 100.56 rpm, and feed moisture of 38.02% - produced extrudates with optimal sensory property scores of 5.34 for texture, 4.91 for taste, 6.97 for appearance, and 5.80 for aroma, with a desirability of 0.943. The correlation between the predicted and experimental values yielded a high coefficient of determination, indicating a good correlation. The “Fit and Diagnostic Case” statistics showed a low range of deviations between the predicted and observed values for the sensory characteristics. Therefore, the generated quadratic model accurately predicts the sensory characteristics of aerial yam-soybean flour blends and is thus validated.

Advancements in Ocular Therapy: A Review of Emerging Drug Delivery Approaches and Pharmaceutical Technologies

Eye disorders affect a substantial portion of the global population, yet the availability of efficacious ophthalmic drug products remains limited. This can be partly ascribed to a number of factors: (1) inadequate understanding of physiological barriers, treatment strategies, drug and polymer properties, and delivery systems; (2) challenges in effectively delivering drugs to the anterior and posterior segments of the eye due to anatomical and physiological constraints; and (3) manufacturing and regulatory hurdles in ocular drug product development. The present review discusses innovative ocular delivery and treatments, encompassing implants, liposomes, nanoparticles, nanomicelles, microparticles, iontophoresis, in situ gels, contact lenses, microneedles, hydrogels, bispecific antibodies, and gene delivery strategies. Furthermore, this review also introduces advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and hot-melt extrusion (HME), aimed at improving bioavailability, reducing therapeutic dosages and side effects, facilitating the design of personalized ophthalmic dosage forms, as well as enhancing patient compliance. This comprehensive review lastly offers insights into digital healthcare, market trends, and industry and regulatory perspectives pertaining to ocular product development.

Development of Slow-Release Fertilizers with Function of Water Retention Using Eco-Friendly Starch Hydrogels

Over the past two decades, the development and commercialization of slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) have significantly advanced, with the primary aim of mitigating environmental issues associated with excessive fertilizer use. A range of methodologies, including chemical and physical reactions, incorporation into carriers with porous and layered structures, and coating techniques, have been explored and refined. On the other hand, global challenges such as drought and desertification further underscore the need for SRFs that not only control nutrient release but also improve soil moisture retention. This paper reviews the development and application of eco-friendly starch hydrogels as fertilizer carriers and water retention for SRFs, particularly starch-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) produced through grafting copolymerization with acrylamide. This review explores both scientific issues, such as the microstructures and releasing mechanisms of SAPs, and technical development, involving copolymerization technologies, multi-initialization processes, methods of loading fertilizer into hydrogel, etc. Starch, as both a biodegradable and renewable carbohydrate polymer, offers distinct advantages due to its excellent chemical stability and high reactivity. The fabrication techniques of SAPs have been developed from traditional batch polymerization in aqueous solutions to more efficient, solvent-free reactive extrusion. The benefits of SRFs based on SAPs encompass enhanced soil aeration, the prevention of soil deterioration, the minimization of water evaporation, environmental pollution control, reduction in plant mortality, and prolonged nutrient retention within soil. In this review, we summarize the current progress, identify limitations in existing technologies, and propose future research directions to further enhance the performance of starch-based SRFs.

Development and in vitro Evaluation of Cannabidiol Mucoadhesive Buccal Film Formulations Using Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology

Introduction: Cannabidiol (CBD) has sparked considerable interest because of its wide range of pharmacological uses and the fact that it does not induce psychoactive effects. CBD formulation development presents significant challenges due to its limited water solubility and susceptibility to first-pass metabolism, both of which restrict its overall bioavailability. The current research aimed to use hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology to develop mucoadhesive buccal films to improve CBD solubility and reduce first-pass metabolism. Methods: Five formulations containing 10% w/w CBD were extruded using a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder (Haake Minilab II, Thermo Fisher Scientific). Different characterization studies were conducted on the developed formulations. Results: Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the CBD endothermic peak disappeared in some of the developed films, indicating that CBD was converted from crystalline to amorphous form. A bio-adhesion study showed that the formulations containing Carbopol® (BF2, BF3, BF4, and BF5) had higher adhesiveness properties. In vitro release and solubility studies showed an increase in CBD release and water solubility in the developed formulations when compared to pure CBD. Stability studies revealed that CBD content and release in the lead formulation (BF2) was stable over 15 months. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that HME was successfully used as an approach to develop CBD mucoadhesive buccal films and CBD solubility was enhanced.

PLA based biodegradable bionanocomposite filaments reinforced with nanocellulose: development and analysis of properties

The 3D printing technique has recently become more prevalent among researchers for the fabrication of nanocomposites. The low crystallinity of polylactic acid (PLA) leads to the poor mechanical and thermal properties of its 3D-printed products, which restrict their applications in many fields. To overcome the limitations of PLA, the present work aims to develop PLA-based bionanocomposite filaments with varying percentages (1, 3, and 5 wt%) of crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) through a single screw extruder. The filaments will be further utilized for the development of bionanocomposite samples to evaluate their properties. The effect of CNC reinforcement on the chemical structure of the filaments was analyzed by FTIR analysis. XRD analysis revealed that the crystallinity of the filaments was significantly improved due to the nucleating effect of CNC. The maximum crystallinity was observed in the filament containing 1 wt% CNC, which was 26% higher than the pure PLA filament. The thermal and mechanical performance of the filaments was also considerably improved after CNC reinforcement, which was confirmed by DSC-TGA and tensile test analysis. The maximum tensile strength and tensile modulus were observed to be 48.9 MPa and 1700 MPa, respectively, in the filament reinforced with 1 wt% CNC, which was 35.5% and 21.89%, respectively, higher than those of the pure PLA filament. Rheological analysis showed that the complex viscosity, storage modulus, and loss modulus of the filaments were significantly affected by the reinforcement of CNC.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from mulberry leaf through hot melt extrusion: Enhanced antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from mulberry leaf through hot melt extrusion: Enhanced antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties

Exploring the preparation of griseofulvin CAMS with amino acids of different hydrophobicity as co-formers using a modified hot-melt extrusion process

Co-amorphous systems (CAMS) of griseofulvin (GRI) with the amino acids (AA): L-lysine (LYS), L-valine (VAL) and L-methionine (MET) of increasing hydrophobicity were prepared using a solvent assisted hot-melt extrusion (HME). Co-formability was evaluated by thermodynamic miscibility prediction, thermal analysis (DSC), powder crystallography (pXRD) and vibrational spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Decomposition temperature range was defined by thermogravimetry (TGA) and DSC. Solubilities of crystalline and amorphous drug were determined by the UV-extinction method. The physical stability of GRI/AA CAMS was evaluated by accelerated tests and for ratios 1:1 and 1:2 was excellent. Non-sink dissolution tests of equimolar CAMS of the more hydrophobic MET and VAL revealed long lasting supersaturation, above the solubility of amorphous drug, whereas ratios 2:1 and 1:2 gave lower supersaturation due to partial recrystallization during dissolution, despite the good physical stability. CAMS of the hydrophilic LYS were physically stable but showed poor dissolution, possibly due to self-association of LYS in water. Addition of wetting agent in the dissolution medium improved dissolution without altering the profile. Since previous attempts to formulate GRI/AA CAMS with purely mechanical methods found only moderate success, the feed pretreatment HME method employed in this work makes an excellent alternative for drug/AA CAMS where mechanical or solvent evaporation methods fail.

Computational Support to Explore Ternary Solid Dispersions of Challenging Drugs Using Coformer and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose.

A majority of drugs marketed in amorphous formulations have a good glass-forming ability, while compounds less stable in the amorphous state still pose a formulation challenge. This work explores ternary solid dispersions of two model drugs with a polymer (i.e., hydroxypropyl cellulose) and a coformer as stabilizing excipients. The aim was to introduce a computational approach by preselecting additives using solubility parameter intervals (i.e., overlap range of solubility parameter, ORSP) followed by more advanced COSMO-RS theory modeling. Thus, a mapping of calculated mixing enthalpy and melting points is proposed for in silico evaluation prior to hot melt extrusion. Following experimental testing of process feasibility, the selected formulations were tested for their physical stability using conventional bulk analytics and by confocal laser scanning and atomic force microscopy imaging. In line with the in silico screening, dl-malic and l-tartaric acid (20%, w/w) in HPC formulations showed no signs of early drug crystallization after 3 months. However, l-tartaric acid formulations displayed few crystals on the surface, which was likely a humidity-induced surface phenomenon. Although more research is needed, the conclusion is that the proposed computational small-scale extrusion approach of ternary solid dispersion has great potential in the formulation development of challenging drugs.

A novel printing strategy to fabricate polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-based composites via hollow filaments filled with multiple reinforcements

ABSTRACT Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-based composites fabricated by material extrusion (ME) have attracted broad research attention; however, the complex pre-made composite filament process makes them inflexible. In this work, a novel composite printing strategy was proposed by filling composite powder into hollow filaments to construct composite filaments for printing. This strategy eliminated the screw extrusion composite filament process and fabricated composite parts directly using composite powders. Hydroxyapatite-reinforced polyetheretherketone (HA-PEEK) and carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF-PEEK) composite specimens were fabricated based on the proposed printing method, and their chemical, physical, and mechanical properties were investigated. To improve the mechanical performance of the specimens, annealing was conducted. It was found that the printed composite specimens had excellent mechanical properties. The highest flexural strengths of the 10% HA-PEEK-R and 5% CF-PEEK-R specimens were detected as 352.9 and 399.4 MPa, respectively. The compression strengths of the 10% HA-PEEK-R and 20% CF-PEEK-R specimens peaked, representing 123.0 and 137.2 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, adding different functional reinforcement fillers or various filler contents to different segments of hollow filaments, sandwich structures and gradient structures were successfully fabricated.

Comparative Study of Polycaprolactone and Polylactic Acid as Matrices for Atorvastatin Release - Biomaterial Suppliers for Additive Manufacturing in Drug Delivery Systems using nanocomposites

The use of the polymer/drug combination in additive manufacturing involves filament production through hot melt extrusion (HME). Atorvastatin (ATV) has diverse effects, including bone anabolism and cardiovascular improvements. This study compares the addition of ATV to polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA). Filaments of PCL/ATV and PLA/ATV were produced through HME and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). ATV release was assessed using UV-Vis. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of ATV in the filament, despite it not being possible, based on surface morphology, to distinguish between polymer and drug, which indicates good dispersion of ATV in the polymeric matrix. FTIR, RAMAN, XRD, and SAXS analyses reveal ATV's distinct interactions with PLA and PCL. FTIR highlights ATV's stronger interaction with PLA, while Raman indicates changes in PLA, they are less pronounced than in PCL. The XRD shows PLA's amorphous nature compared to PCL semi crystallinity nature. XRD suggests potential ATV amorphization in PLA_ATVf (filaments), while PCL_ATVf shows a decrease in crystallinity compared to PCL. HME's effect on ATV is essential. Despite ATV's crystallinity in PCL-ATVf by XRD, its release resembles PLA_ATVf. At the eighth hour, ATV release from PCL_ATVf was 12% higher than from PLA_ATVf. The data fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas model.

Performance of Recycled Opaque PET Modified by Reactive Extrusion

A comparative study of the structural integrity of an opaque recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET-O) has been carried out with two types of modified rPET-O by applying reactive extrusion techniques, namely (a) using a multi-epoxide reactive agent (REx-rPET-O) and (b) a 90/10 (wt/wt) rPET-O/polycarbonate (PC) blend. The chemical modifications introduced during reactive extrusion were confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheological dynamic analysis (RDA). For the quantification of the fracture parameters, an instrumented pendulum impact testing machine was used using specimens in SENB configuration. The structural modifications generated during reactive extrusion promote an increase of between 16 (REx-rPET-O) and 20% (rPET-O/PC) in the stress-intensity factor (KQ) compared to unmodified rPET-O. The most significant differences between both modifications are registered in the “specific work of fracture” (wf) (alternative parameter to the standardized impact strength), where an increase of 61% is reached for the case of rPET-O/PC and only 11% for REx-rPET-O. This trend can be attributed to the type of reactive modification that is generated, namely chain branching (REx-rPET-O) vs. the generation of a random copolymer “in situ” (rPET-O/PC). This copolymer decreases the crystallization capacity and degree of crystalline perfection of rPET-O, promoting an increase in the critical hydrostatic stress conditions for the generation of crazing and crack propagation.

In-line NIR coupled with machine learning to predict mechanical properties and dissolution profile of PLA-Aspirin

In the production of polymeric drug delivery devices, dissolution profile and mechanical properties of the drug loaded polymeric matrix are considered important Critical Quality Attributes (CQA) for quality assurance. However, currently the industry relies on offline testing methods which are destructive, slow, labour intensive, and costly. In this work, a real-time method for predicting these CQAs in a Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) process is explored using in-line NIR and temperature sensors together with Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. The mechanical and drug dissolution properties were found to vary significantly with changes in processing conditions, highlighting that real-time methods to accurately predict product properties are highly desirable for process monitoring and optimisation. Nonlinear ML methods including Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN) and Recursive Feature Elimination with RF (RFE-RF) outperformed commonly used linear machine learning methods. For the prediction of tensile strength RFE-RF and KNN achieved R2 values 98% and 99%, respectively. For the prediction of drug dissolution, two time points were considered with drug release at t = 6 h as a measure of the extent of burst release, and t = 96 h as a measure of sustained release. KNN and RFE-RF achieved R2 values of 97% and 96%, respectively in predicting the drug release at t = 96 h. This work for the first time reports the prediction of drug dissolution and mechanical properties of drug loaded polymer product from in-line data collected during the HME process.