Industrial Pharmacy Theory

Study Notes

Industrial Pharmacy

Discipline encompassing the manufacturing, development, marketing, and distribution of drug products.
Quality assurance is integral to all activities in industrial pharmacy.

Reasons for Increased Large Scale Manufacturing

Economic: Larger manufacturing batches lead to reduced production costs due to economies of scale.
Accuracy: Proportional increase in accuracy of material measurements with larger quantities.

Mass Transfer

Defined as the net movement of mass from one location to another.
Examples include:
- Evaporation of water from a pond to the atmosphere
- Purification of blood in kidneys and liver
- Distillation of alcohol.

Mass Transfer in Industrial Processes

Involves operations such as:
- Separation of chemical components in distillation columns.
- Using absorbers (e.g., scrubbers) and adsorbers (e.g., activated carbon beds).
- Liquid-liquid extraction processes.

Solid Fluid Mass Transfer

Involves a crystal of soluble material dissolving in a solvent.
The crystal is affected by a stationary boundary layer of solute while the bulk fluid can move.
The mass transfer occurs in two stages:
- Molecular diffusion through the boundary layer without mechanical mixing.
- Bulk movement of solution known as eddy diffusion after passing through the boundary layer.

Diffusion Coefficient

Acts as a proportionality constant for mass transfer rates.
Higher diffusion coefficients indicate faster diffusion.
Example: Carbon dioxide diffusion coefficient is 16 mm²/s in air and 0.0016 mm²/s in water.

Fluid/Fluid Mass Transfer

Involves mass transfer between two immiscible fluids, such as two liquids or a liquid and a gas.
Each fluid has boundary layers along the interface affecting the concentration gradients.

Influence of Mass Transfer on Unit Operations

Mass transfer theory applies to operations involving phase changes (solid/liquid, solid/vapour, liquid/liquid, or liquid/vapour).
Improved rates of solution can be achieved through:
- Agitation: Reduces boundary layer thickness and disperses local concentrations to increase concentration gradient.
- Elevated temperatures: Enhances solubility, increases diffusion coefficients, and reduces liquid viscosity, thereby decreasing boundary layer thickness.
- Size reduction of solids: Increases the surface area for diffusion to occur.

Description

This quiz explores the key concepts of Industrial Pharmacy, focusing on the processes involved in manufacturing, developing, marketing, and distributing drug products. It also delves into the importance of quality assurance and the economic factors influencing large-scale manufacturing. Test your knowledge on these essential aspects of the discipline.