(116e) Spherical Agglomeration – a Particle Engineering Approach in Pharmaceutical Crystallization

Spherical agglomeration adds a new dimension of particle engineering opportunities that are not achievable through classical crystallization of primary particles. It has been shown that agglomeration of pharmaceutical compounds can be triggered by changes in solvent composition during the anti-solvent charge. This phenomenon involves a multi-solvent system in which solvent interactions with the primary crystals lead to the formation of agglomerates with varying morphologies and sizes. The formation of agglomerates can drastically improve slurry filterability and bulk powder flowability compared to the primary crystals. A systematic approach including solvent screening, solvent-solid interaction characterization, and crystallization parameter optimization is investigated to efficiently identify potential solvents to promote crystal agglomeration that can be verified experimentally. Case studies of two model compounds from different crystallization systems will be discussed.