Short Description
The Mini Spray Dryer S-300 (BÜCHI) is a laboratory spray drying system designed for converting solutions, emulsions, and suspensions into dry powders at laboratory and pilot scale. The instrument enables controlled and reproducible particle production with typical sizes in the micrometer range and is suitable for applications in pharmaceutical sciences, food technology, materials science, and chemistry. Key process parameters such as inlet temperature, gas flow, feed rate, and atomization are precisely controlled, allowing targeted adjustment of product properties such as particle size, morphology, and residual moisture.
The integration of the Inert Loop S-395 enables operation in a closed nitrogen circulation system. This allows the safe processing of organic solvents while simultaneously reducing solvent consumption and enabling solvent recovery through condensation. The Dehumidifier S-396 ensures a constant and dry process gas quality, which contributes to stable and reproducible process conditions, particularly when working with hygroscopic materials or under fluctuating ambient humidity.
The standard two-fluid nozzle can easily be exchanged by a three-fluid nozzle, which enables the simultaneous atomization of two separate liquid streams. This expands the range of applications to more complex formulations, including multicomponent systems, co-spray processes, and microencapsulation.
Overall, the system represents a versatile research infrastructure for the development, optimization, and scaling of spray drying processes and supports both fundamental research and application-oriented projects.
Contact Person
Dr. Eva Roblegg
Research Services
- Spray drying experiments at laboratory and pilot scale
- Support in formulation development and optimization (e.g. pharmaceutical applications)
- Process development and optimization using Quality-by-Design (QbD) approaches
- Production of microparticles from solutions, emulsions, and suspensions
- Processing of sensitive compounds, including therapeutic proteins
- Development of storage-stable powder formulations
- Co-spray processes and multicomponent systems (e.g. using a three-fluid nozzle)
- Spray drying with organic solvents under inert gas conditions
- Feasibility studies for new formulations and processes
- Consulting on process parameters, particle design, and scale-up (lab to pilot scale)
- Support in collaborative research projects (academic/industrial)
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The spray drying system is used to develop and apply methods for the production and targeted modification of pharmaceutical particles from various matrix materials at laboratory and pilot scale. One focus is, for example, the processing of sensitive active ingredients, particularly therapeutic proteins, which can be converted into storage-stable powders through gentle spray drying processes. The system enables precise control of key process parameters such as temperature, gas flow, feed rate, and atomization conditions, allowing particle properties to be specifically tailored.
The available expertise includes the development and optimization of formulations as well as the application of Quality-by-Design approaches for systematic process development. This enables targeted particle engineering to optimize pharmaceutical microparticles for specific applications, such as subcutaneous or topical delivery.