Micro-compounding is the mixing or processing of polymer formulations in the melt on a very small scale, typically several milliliters. It is popular for R&D because it gives faster, more reliable results with smaller samples and less investment cost. Its applications are pharmaceutical, biomedical and nutritional.
Micro-compounding is typically performed with a table top, twin screw micro-compounder or -extruder with a working volume of 5 or 15 milliliters. With such small volumes it is almost impossible to have sufficient mixing in a continuous extruder. Therefore, state-of-the-art micro-compounders have a batch mode (recirculation) and a conical shape. The L/D of a continuous twin screw extruder is mimicked in a batch micro-compounder by the recirculation mixing time, which is controlled by a manual valve. With this valve the recirculation can be interrupted to unload the formulation in either a strand, or an injection moulder, a film device or a fiber line. Typical recirculation times are 1-3 min, dependent on the ease of dispersive and distributive mixing of the formulation.[citation needed]
Micro-compounding can now produce films, fibers and test samples (rods, rings, tablets) from mixtures as small as 5 ml in less than 10 min. By the small footprint less lab space is needed than for a parallel twin screw extruder.[1][2][3][4][5]
One micro-extruder, developed to test the improvement of bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs or realize sustained release of dispersed or dissolved active ingredients, has options[clarification needed] to easily fill and clean. [6][7][8][9][10]
^Qizheng Dou, Xiaomin Zhu, Karin Peter, Dan E. Demco, Martin Möller, Claudiu Melian, J. Sol-Gel Sci Technol (2008) 48: 51-60
^Stretz, H.A.; Paul, D.R. (2006). "Properties and morphology of nanocomposites based on styrenic polymers, Part II: Effects of maleic anhydride units". Polymer. 47 (26): 8527–8535. doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2006.10.013.
^Ozkoc, Guralp; Bayram, Goknur; Tiesnitsch, Johan (2008). "Microcompounding of organoclay–ABS/PA6 blend-based nanocomposites". Polymer Composites. 29 (4): 345–356. doi:10.1002/pc.20392.
^Ozkoc, Guralp; Kemaloglu, Sebnem; Quaedflieg, Martin (2010). "Production of poly(lactic acid)/Organoclay nanocomposite scaffolds by microcompounding and polymer/Particle leaching". Polymer Composites. 31 (4): 674–683. doi:10.1002/pc.20846.
^Özkoç, Güralp; Bayram, Göknur; Quaedflieg, Martin (2008). "Effects of microcompounding process parameters on the properties of ABS/Polyamide-6 blends based nanocomposites". Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 107 (5): 3058–3070. doi:10.1002/app.27460.
^Markus Thommes, APV Drug Delivery Focus Group Newsletter - 1/2012
^Pharmaceutical Extrusion Technology, ed. Isaac Ghebre-Sellassie, Charles Martin, Drugs and the Pharmaceutical Sciences, Volume 133, Informa Healthcare, 2007
^V. M. Litvinov, S. Guns, P. Adriaensens, B. J. R. Scholtens, M. P. Quaedflieg, R. Carleer, and G. Van den Mooter, Solid State Solubility of Miconazole in Poly[(ethylene glycol)-g-vinyl alcohol] Using Hot-Melt Extrusion., Mol. Pharmaceutics, 2012, 9 (10), pp 2924–2932
DOI: 10.1021/mp300280k
^Toshiro Sakai, presentation APV Experts‘ Workshop on Hot Melt Extrusion – Ludwigshafen, 6th November, 2012
^Toshiro Sakai and Markus Thommes, J.Pharmacy and Pharmacology 2013; DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12085
