Predicting Throughput and Melt Temperature in Pharmaceutical Hot Melt Extrusion

Even though hot melt extrusion (HME) is a commonly applied process in the pharmaceutical area, determination of the optimal process parameters is demanding. The goal of this study was to find a rational approach for predetermining suitable extrusion parameters, with a focus on material temperature and throughput. A two-step optimization procedure, called scale-independent optimization strategy (SIOS), was applied and developed further, including the use of an autogenic extrusion mode. Three different polymers (Plasdone S-630, Soluplus, and Eudragit EPO) were considered, and different optimal process parameters were assessed. The maximum barrel load was dependent on the polymers’ bulk density and the extruder size. The melt temperature was influenced by the screw speed and the rheological behavior of the polymer. The melt viscosity depended mainly on the screw speed and was self-adjusted in the autogenic extrusion. A new approach, called SIOS 2.0, was suggested for calculating the extrusion process parameters (screw speed, melt temperature and throughput) based on the material data and a few extrusion experiments.