Model driven design of dense phase wet granulation processes

湿法制粒是使用液体粘合剂从难以处理的细粉末形成结构良好且性能良好的颗粒的过程。制粒允许从细粉进料开发具有规定属性（流动性、强度、溶解特性等）的结构化颗粒产品。制粒工艺是英国制造业重要产品生产的关键步骤，包括药品（GSK，Astra Zeneca），食品和消费品（雀巢，宝洁，联合利华），农业和特种化学品（先正达）。这往往是最有问题的步骤，并可能导致产品质量问题，上市时间，并通过不必要的高回收成本增加。尽管其工业重要性，造粒工艺的设计和规模化方法在实践中仍然非常经验。将知识转移到新配方或新设备设计上是困难的。本项目的目标是开发一个基于隔室的建模框架，用于设计和缩放密相湿法制粒过程。我们将开发和验证耦合离散元（DEM）/人口平衡（PB）模型来预测密相湿法制粒机的颗粒性能分布的演变。具体项目目标是：1.建立密相湿法制粒过程的多尺度设计模型;2.使用实验室规模的分批高剪切湿法制粒机来验证这些模型;以及3.为间歇式和连续式湿法制粒机开发gSOLIDS模块，并使用这些模块开发和实施教育案例研究。该项目将通过普渡大学的访问科学家Jim Litster教授，在谢菲尔德大学和普渡大学（美国）之间建立新的合作关系。该项目的一个关键成果将是开发新的工具，以支持英国制造业高效制造结构化颗粒产品。

Wet granulation is the process of using a liquid binder to form well structured and well behaved granules from difficult to handle fine powders. Granulation allows the development of structured particulate products with defined attributes (flowability, strength, dissolution profile, etc) from a fine powder feed. The granulation process is a key step in the production of a wide range of products important to the UK manufacturing industries including pharmaceuticals (GSK, Astra Zeneca), food and consumer products (Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Unilever), agricultural and specialty chemicals (Syngenta). It is often the most problematic step and can cause problems in product quality, time to market, and increased cost through unnecessarily high recycle.Despite its industrial importance, approaches to the design and scaling of granulation processes are still very empirical in practice. Transfer of knowledge to new formulations, or to new equipment designs is difficult at best. The goal of this project is to develop a compartment based modeling framework for design and scaling dense phase wet granulation processes. We will develop and validate coupled discrete element (DEM)/population balance (PB) models to predict the evolution of granule property distributions for dense phase wet granulators. The specific project objectives are to:1. Develop compartment based multiscale design models for dense phase wet granulation processes;2. Validate these models using laboratory scale batch high shear wet granulators; and 3. Develop gSOLIDS modules for batch and continuous wet granulators and use these to develop and implement educational case studies.The project will develop a new collaboration between Sheffield University and Purdue University (USA) through the visiting scientist, Professor Jim Litster from Purdue. A key outcome of the project will be the development of new tools to support the UK manufacturing industries in efficient manufacture of structured particulate products.