Process parameters and morphology in amoxicillin micro and submicro particles generation by supercritical antisolvent precipitation

Continuous supercritical antisolvent precipitation (SAS) has been used to p roduce micro and sub-micro particles of amoxicillin. Liquid solutions of am oxicillin in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) have be en continuously sprayed using supercritical CO2 as the antisolvent. When DM SO has been used, the precipitation of amoxicillin has been only partly suc cessful and two different particle morphologies have been observed during t he same experiment. When amoxicillin has been solubilized in NMP, spherical and non-agglomerated microparticles have been obtained by SAS with mean di ameters ranging between 0.25 and 1.2 mu m obtained at various precipitation temperatures and solute concentrations in the liquid solution. The effect of the ratio of CO2/liquid solution flow rates has also been studied. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.