Process Modeling
Lisa Graham, Trevor Wigle, and their colleagues in the Process Quantitation group use process modeling programs to assist
in the development of new technologies at Bend Research. Many areas of research and development benefit from modeling
efforts such as drug-delivery systems, spray drying, melt-spray
congealing, liquid-liquid mixing, liquid-solid mixing, fluid-bed coating,
and fluid-bed granulation.
Once researchers have an idea of the material
properties needed for a new formulation to be effective,
ways to manufacture that new formulation are
researched. The Process Quantitation group looks at process fundamentals to
develop models that will help predict performance at a small scale and
how to carry that model across a wide range of scales for different equipment.
With a basic knowledge of the fundamental science
behind a new formulation, chemical engineers can apply first
principles, experimental correlations, analytical work, and/or
computational fluid dynamics to build a process model. Model development
directly supports "right first time" efforts, which are essential for
minimizing the use of experimental resources.
This approach has provided
qualitative and quantitative information for spray-dryer process
development, osmotic tablets, melt-spray congeal and fluid beds. The
models have been helpful for understanding the process, with emphasis on
process robustness at scale and across scales.
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