It has been shown that seeded granules of calcium carbonate can be produced in commercial batch high shear granulators such as the Cyclomix high-shear impact mixer. Seeded granules are attractive to the pharmaceutical industry due to their high uniformity and good mechanical properties which can assist efficient tablet manufacture. In the current study, attempts to produce seeded granules of Durcal 65 and PEG 4000 binder using hot melt granulation are reported, in response to the recent shift towards continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. Various screw configurations and rotation speeds were investigated in a series of experiments to determine the relationship between process conditions and granule properties. Particle size analysis, strength measurement and structural characterisation were used to quantify granule properties. It was found that using a series of kneading elements arranged at a 60° staggering angle located near to the feed section of the extruder screw generated strong, spherical granules. From structural characterisation approximately 5–15% of extruded granules were found to be seeded. Twin screw melt granulation is therefore considered to be a promising technique for continuous production of seeded granules, although a more detailed investigation is required to optimise yield and quality.

已经表明，可以在商业批量高剪切造粒机例如Cyclomix高剪切冲击混合机中生产碳酸钙的种子颗粒。种子颗粒由于其高均匀性和良好的机械性能（可帮助有效地制造片剂）而对制药业具有吸引力。在当前的研究中，报告了尝试使用热熔造粒法生产Durcal 65和PEG 4000粘合剂的种子颗粒的方法，以响应最近向连续药物生产的转变。在一系列实验中研究了各种螺杆配置和转速，以确定工艺条件和颗粒性质之间的关系。粒度分析，强度测量和结构表征用于定量颗粒性质。已经发现，使用一系列以60°的交错角布置在挤出机螺杆的进料部分附近的捏合元件会产生坚固的球形颗粒。通过结构表征，发现大约有5-15％的挤出颗粒被植入了种子。因此，尽管需要更详细的研究以优化产量和质量，但双螺杆熔融制粒被认为是连续生产种子颗粒的有前途的技术。