Packaging Resource Center: The Latest in Desiccants

Oxygen-Barrier Bottles
A line of high gas barrier bottles for sensitive pharmaceutical applications are extrusion blow-molded with up to six layers and offer up to 100 times the barrier protection from oxygen than standard polyethylene bottles of similar size, the manufacturer reports. Oxy-Guard bottles feature a six-layer structure and can also incorporate a UV barrier as well as incorporate customer-specific resins and design characteristics. A full range of standard sizes are available. As all Oxy-Guard neck finishes are SP 400, any pharmaceutical screw cap produced according to this standard can be used. The manufacturer can work with customers to customize performance parameters, materials, and bottle design. The bottles can be used in conjunction with the company’s PharmaKeep oxygen scavengers, which absorb the oxygen contained in the container headspace after drug filling along with the small amount of oxygen that may still permeate into the container during shelf life.  Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging, a business unit of Süd-Chemie Group, Belen, NM; 505/244-7100; www.s-cpp.com.

Canister Dispenser and Sorbent Design Services
A new high-speed canister dispenser for healthcare product packaging applications was developed to lend productivity and efficiency to packaging operations for time and cost savings. The APA-9000 dispenses the manufacturer’s line of high-performance sorbent canisters, including SorbiCap, Multiform CSF, and StabilOx, for an integrated system solution for customers. Capable of dispensing up to 325 canisters per minute, the high-speed, automatic APA-9000 can be customized to run in a variety of lines including bottling, VFFS, flow wrapper, thermoforming, and pouching machinery. Equipped with an Allen-Bradley PLC for enhanced automation, the APA-9000 incorporates dual gravity feed bowls, which are fed from dual respective hoppers with a cleated conveyor and offers FIFO dispensing control. Each hopper is designed to accommodate 4000 canisters from a single pail or box for high-volume production runs. In other news, the company announced that its StabilOx and SorbiCap canisters as well as its MiniPax and StripPax packets are the first active packaging technologies to comply with ASTM standards D4169-08 and D999-08. The company also offers its Calculations through Operations QbD-based design service program, designed to help companies identify and incorporate the right moisture and/or oxygen management solution to preserve the efficacy of their products. Multisorb Technologies, Buffalo, NY; 716/824-8900; www.multisorb.com.

Desiccant Polymer
Drug Master Files are now available for a desiccant polymer, which has also been granted USP <661> and <671> certification when used for molded bottles. DryKeep employs a naturally occurring GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) desiccant to absorb 100% of its weight in water, providing three times more absorptive capacity than that of other in-wall and loose desiccant systems, the company reports. Moisture uptake can be controlled in order to maintain specific internal humidity for the entire product life. Such absorptive control means that containers don’t require any care beyond that required for traditional bottles during filling to ensure that moisture capacity is intact. Because DryKeep is molded into the container, it cannot be discarded like standard desiccants. DryKeep can be molded into any polymer and utilized in any plastic process. Bottles employing the desiccant polymer are available in multilayer EBM and monolayer IBM formats in any size, and they are cost-neutral when compared with traditional packaging including a desiccant. The polymer can also be injection molded into almost any part, including scoops used for powdered products and plates to replace breakable sachets or canisters. It can also be blown into films for protective pouches, bags, and, potentially, blisters. TricorBraun, St. Louis, MO; 314/569-3633; www.tricorbraun.com.