Prediction of Microwave Drying Behavior of Pharmaceutical Powders Using Thin-Layer Models

Abstract

Common pharmaceutical excipients and active ingredients, wetted with specific solvents, were dried under selected continuous power microwave and pulsed power microwave-vacuum conditions in an experimental system. Irrespective of the drying technique, a typical drying profile, with a constant drying rate stage followed by two falling rate periods, was exhibited. The experimental moisture loss data were fitted to semi-theoretical and empirical thin-layer drying equations and the models compared on the basis of three statistical parameters. The drying characteristics were satisfactorily described by the Lewis, Page, Logarithmic, Chavez-Mendez et al., and Midilli et al. models, with the latter providing the best representation of the data.

Keywords:

• Drying
• Microwave
• Powder
• Thin-layer model
• Vacuum