Finlay, Warren (University of Alberta)

Purpose

This project will continue work aimed at understanding how process parameters affect an existing technology developed by us for freeze-drying biological and medical solutions to produce powders. Freeze-dried bio-medical powders are used in pharmaceuticals as well as for food. The technology we will employ in this project is called atmospheric spray freeze drying (ASFD) and has the potential to be faster and more economical than current methods and to work for a wider variety of substances than allowed for by current methods. During our previous Engage grant, we improved the monitoring and process control of our AFSD equipment. In the proposed work, we will examine the effects of different process parameter variations on the attributes of the powders produced with AFSD. This work will aim towards optimization of process parameters to produce powders with given desired properties. Use of AFSD will be explored using pharmaceutical formulations of interest to the industry partner and comparison to conventional tray freeze-drying will be made. As part of the proposed research, we will examine the ability of AFSD to produce dried material with desired properties but with reduced processing time and cost compared to the other methods used by the industry partner. In addition, we wish to continue improving our understanding of how process parameters and their control affect the essential properties of atmospheric spray freeze dried material.