The Role of Chillers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Contenuto Nascondere

1 The Role of Chillers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

1.1 Controlling chemical reaction temperature

1.2 Constant temperature control of fermentation process

1.3 Distillation and condensation

1.4 Crystallization and purification

1.5 Drug storage

1.6 Equipment cooling

1.7 Invest in safe and efficient pharmaceutical chillers

1.8 Related chillers

1.9 CONTATTO

Quality control in the pharmaceutical industry is related to human health. Chillers play an important role in quality control. This article introduces the use of process chillers in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Controlling chemical reaction temperature

Chemical reactions are essentially energy change processes. The synthesis of many pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs releases a lot of heat during the reaction process. If this heat is not controlled and transferred in time, the following problems may occur:

- Increase in side reactions: Increased reaction temperature will accelerate the occurrence of side reactions other than the target reaction, increase impurities, and affect product purity.

- Reduced yield: Some chemical reactions can only achieve higher yields within a specific temperature range. Too high or too low temperature will cause the reaction efficiency to decrease.

- Product decomposition: Some target products or intermediates are unstable at high temperatures, and may degrade or carbonize, producing carbonized byproducts or black residues.

- Safety hazards: If the temperature is not cooled in time for the highly exothermic reaction, it is easy to cause uncontrolled temperature rise, pressure rise, reactor overpressure, etc., and in severe cases, explosion accidents may occur.

In order to ensure that the reaction is controllable, safe, and efficient, the reactor must be equipped with a reliable temperature control system. The most common is the reactor jacket. Injecting the coolant into the jacket can indirectly cool the reactants in the reactor. The chiller can be connected to the reactor jacket to help accurately control the temperature of the coolant (±0.02℃). This high precision cannot be achieved by ordinary water towers or circulating water tanks.

Constant temperature control of fermentation process

The process of microorganisms metabolizing under certain environmental conditions to produce antibiotics, enzyme preparations, amino acids, alcohol and other products is fermentation. Temperature is a key factor affecting microbial activity and metabolic rate. Different strains have different optimal temperatures. Too low temperature affects the strain and prolongs the fermentation time. Too high temperature can cause microbial death or metabolic disorder. In addition, temperature can affect the product type. This can reduce the purity of the target product.

Microbial metabolism releases heat, and uneven temperature distribution will occur in the fermentation tank. Moreover, microorganisms at different stages require different temperatures, and the requirements for temperature control are very strict. The industrial chiller system can provide a uniform and stable cooling source for the fermentation tank, helping to improve fermentation efficiency and product quality.

Distillation and condensation

Distillation uses the principle of different boiling points of different components to separate mixed liquids. After the mixed liquid is heated, the component with a lower boiling point will first become steam and enter the condensation system. After condensation, it will turn back into liquid and be collected. This is the extraction process of the target product.

If the steam cannot be cooled in time, the pressure in the pipeline will increase, increasing safety hazards. Distillation requires heating and condensation requires cooling. Both consecutive stages require stable and precise temperature control. The chiller can operate 24 hours a day to provide continuous temperature control. Due to the fast cooling rate, the steam conversion of the target component can be more thorough, improving its recovery rate and purity.

Crystallization and purification

Crystallization refers to changing the temperature or solvent conditions to allow the supersaturated solute to precipitate and form crystals with regular structure and high purity. However, sometimes tthe resulting crystals may contain impurities, which need to be removed. This process requires first dissolving the target substance in the solvent, heating it to dissolve it, and forming a uniform saturated solution. Then slowly cool it to a specific temperature to allow the solute to precipitate into crystals. The crystals are filtered from the mother liquor and dried to obtain the finished product.

The quality and shape of the crystals depend on the cooling rate and the accuracy of the temperature. Unstable cooling process will cause impurities to be mixed into the crystals. The chiller has a curve temperature control function, which can repeatedly execute the heating and cooling curve program. Help you use the same temperature ramp rate in batch production to ensure the quality of crystallization.

Drug storage

The active ingredients in the drug may decompose when the temperature is too high or fluctuates frequently, resulting in quality problems such as color change, abnormal odor, and turbid liquid decomposition, which affects the stability and efficacy of the drug. Therefore, the drug management regulations of various countries have strict regulations on the storage temperature of drugs. Medical-grade industrial freezers can provide stable environmental conditions for the drugs stored in them.

Equipment cooling

Pharmaceutical equipment such as reactors, centrifuges, mixers and freeze dryers generate heat during operation. In order to prevent overheating shutdown and material denaturation, chillers are needed to provide them with a stable cooling source to help maintain the optimal operating temperature.

Invest in safe and efficient pharmaceutical chillers

Chillers in the pharmaceutical industry are important equipment to ensure process continuity, drug quality, and production safety. LNEYA has 15 years of experience in designing and producing temperature control equipment, providing standard and customized chillers. If you are looking for a chiller for your process or have a specific model quotation requirement, ask us！