Hard Capsules Manufacturing, Formulations, and Processing

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key terms, historical figures, machinery, raw materials, and processes in hard capsule production from the lecture transcript.

Mothes and Dublanc

Two Frenchmen credited with inventing single-piece, olive-shaped gelatin capsules and obtaining patents in March and December of 1834.

James Murdock

The London inventor who introduced the two-piece telescoping capsule in 1848, which was patented in England in 1865.

Efflorescent materials

Substances that release moisture and may cause gelatin capsule shells to soften.

Deliquescent powders

Substances that absorb moisture and may dry capsule shells to excessive brittleness.

Gelatin

A heterogeneous product derived from the irreversible hydrolytic extraction of treated animal collagen.

Type A gelatin

Gelatin derived from an acid-treated precursor exhibiting an isoelectric point near $\text{pH } 9$.

Type B gelatin

Gelatin derived from an alkali-treated precursor exhibiting an isoelectric zone near $ $\text{pH } 4.7$.

Bone gelatin

A gelatin raw material that yields a tough, firm film, but tends to produce hazy and brittle capsule shells.

Pork skin gelatin

A gelatin raw material that contributes plasticity and clarity to gelatin blends, reducing haze or cloudiness.

Acid-bone gelatin

Gelatin prepared from bone using Type A extraction techniques, resulting in an altered isoelectric point of $\text{pH } 5.5\text{--}6.0$.

Pin method

The manufacturing process of dipping cool stainless steel mold pins into a gelatin solution, serving as the standard method for commercial capsule production.

Capsule size 0

The largest capsule size commonly employed for human pharmaceutical applications.

Capsule size 5

The smallest capsule size commonly employed for human pharmaceutical applications.

ROTOWEIGH

A high-speed capsule weighing machine developed by Eli Lilly and Company operating at $73,000$ capsules per hour using x-ray backscatter measurement.

Vericap 1200

A high-speed capsule weighing machine manufactured by Modern Controls, Inc. operating at $73,000$ capsules per hour by measuring capacitance variation between charged plates.

ROTOSORT

A mechanical filled capsule sorting machine by Eli Lilly and Company running up to $150,000$ capsules per hour to remove loose powder, unjoined capsules, and loose caps.

Accela-Cota

A tablet coating pan lined with polyurethane or cheese cloth used for dusting and polishing capsules.

Formalin treatment

A process exposing gelatin capsules to formalin vapors or liquid to reduce solubility through molecular cross-linking.

Rotogravure process

The printing process utilized by capsule imprinting machines to apply edible water- or solvent-based inks to capsule surfaces.