Investigating processing window of Affinisol™ and Plasdone™ - S630 polymers during hot-melt extrusion (for 3D printing by fused deposition modelling)

There are numerous polymers that have been used commercially to produce pharmaceutical solid dispersions and solutions from hot melt extrusion. Affinisol™ (HPMC) and Plasdone™ S630 (PVP based co-povidone copolymer) have been used in the present work to determine the viable processing space with regards thermal and work input on a twin screw extruder. Processing viability has been determined by monitoring degradation, initially assessed by physical appearance and colour of the extrudates across the full operating range of a twin screw extruder. It has been found that the Affinisol™ had a relatively narrow viable operating window compared with the Plasdone™