Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ | Microtech Engineering Company

Q. What is micronization and what is it used for?
A. A process which reduces particle size down to low microns, typically in the range of 2-10 microns. It is used to control particle size and can benefit an extensive range of drug types, including solid dosage, injectable, ocular, and inhaled products. Finer particle size of APIs used in preparation leads to faster absorption by the human body. Micronization is most often used to describe processes that reduce particle size by using fluid energy, such as a jet mill, rather than by mechanical means.

Q. What are the advantages of Micronization in Pharmaceuticals?
A. There are several advantages of micronization, some include:

Uniformity of particle size
Better solubility
Improved bio-availability
Enhanced clinical effectiveness
Improved appearance / brightness
Increased surface area

Q. What is Jet Milling?
A. Instead of using mechanical apparatus, jet milling uses pressurized gas to create high particle velocity and high-energy impact between particles, leading to overall reduction in particle size.

Q. What APIs can be micronized?
A. Almost any powder that is ‘friable’; powder that is brittle and not elastic or fibrous. It could be crystalline or amorphous, collection of large crystals or agglomerates with low primary particle sizes.

Q. How is product performance evaluated?
A. The performance of Air Jet Mills is primarily evaluated based on Particle Size Analysis by Laser Diffraction. Our in-house Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer and photomicrography help deliver to our customers difficult to reach PSD requirements.

Q. What is ‘job work’?
A. When it comes to us, ‘job work’ is in-house micronization done for customer APIs.

Q. What is the difference between the different sizes of Jet Mills?
A. Customers can pick the machine best fitted for their needs, depending on the volume and required PSD. Our machines can allow a few grams to be micronized at a time, to large scale production-sized Jet Mills that enable customers to realize thousands of kilograms a day.

Q. Who are our customers?
A. Our ‘Midas’ range of machines are the most widely used Air Jet Mills in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Our customers include all sizes of pharma companies, for a complete list, click here.

Q. Can the Air Jet Mill be used only with compressed air?
A. The most common fluid used in Jet Mills is Compressed Air. However, Nitrogen is also used in certain cases when the API is highly explosive in nature or reacts with oxygen in compressed air.

Q. Can trials be run without the purchase of a machine?
A. Yes, our state-of-the-art equipment is also available for R&D purposes for those labs who do not have access to air jet mills for particle size reduction. We offer micronization of APIs without the need to purchase the equipment outright. Learn more here.

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