TABLET COATING

Mr. Pranjal Chaugule

Assistant Professor
Ashokrao Mane Institute of Pharmacy,Ambap
TABLET COATING

Tablet coating is the application of coating

material to the exterior of a tablet with the
intention of conferring benefits and
properties to a dosage form over the
uncoated variety.
TABLET COATING

As per I.P “Tablet coated with mixture

of various substances such as resins,
gums, inactive and insoluble fillers,
sugars, waxes etc.
Why To Coat ???
1. Mask Bitter taste
2. Mask unpleasant odor
3. Protecting the drug from surroundings
4. To increase the Stability
5. Handling & ease of ingesting by patients
6. Mechanical protection from breakage
7. Avoid Light incompatibility
8. Protection from Environmental oxidation
9. In-elegant core
[Link] modify the drug release profile
[Link] Product identity
 The main steps involved in the Coating of Tablets

1. The tablets (or granules) are placed within the coating

apparatus and agitated.

2. The coating solution is sprayed on to the surface of the tablets.

3. Warm air is passed over the tablets to facilitate removal of the

solvent from the adsorbed layer of coating solution on the

surface of the tablets.

4. When the solvent has evaporated, the tablets will be coated

with the solid component of the original coating solution.

TYPES OF COATING
1. Sugar coating
2. Film coating
3. Enteric coating
4. Controlled release coating
5. Specialized coating
• Compressed coating
• Electrostatic coating
• Dip coating
• Vacuum film coating
 SUGAR COATING
• Description of tablets: Smooth, rounded and polished to a

high gloss
• Process: Multistage process involving 6 separate operations
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUGAR COATING

SEAL COATING

Sealing Tablet Core: Application of a water impermeable

polymer such as Shellac, cellulose acetate phthalate and
polyvinyl acetate phthalate, which protects the core from
moisture, increasing its shelf life.
To prevent water from coating solution
To prevent migration from core
To produce enteric coating (some cases)
To reduce core abrasion
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUGAR COATING

SUBCOATING

Subcoating: After the tablets are waterproofed if needed,

three to five subcoats of a sugar-based syrup are applied. This
bonds the sugar coating to the tab- let and provides rounding.
The sucrose and water syrup also contains gelatin, acacia, or
PVP to enhance coating.
To round off sharp edge of core (smooth surface is not
required)
To provide a good substrate for subsequent smoothing step
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUGAR COATING

GROSSING/
SMOOTHING

Smoothing process: Remove rough layers formed in step

2 with the application of sucrose syrup. This syrup is sucrose
based, with or without additional components such as starch
and calcium carbonate.
To smooth the rough core surface.
To provide a smooth base for color coat
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUGAR COATING

COLORING

•Colouring: For aesthetic purposes often titanium

based pigments are included
To achieve an evenly colored, smooth surface
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUGAR COATING

POLISHING/FINISHING

Polishing: Effectively polished to give

characteristic shine, commonly using beeswax,
carnauba wax.
To enhance gloss.
To provide moisture protection.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Advantages
1. Cheap, safe coating material
2. It gives a smooth and shinning surface
3. Good patient compliance
4. It mask the bitterness and sweet in taste
5. Require less hardness core
6. It increases the elegance of the product

Disadvantages
[Link] consuming process
2. High weight gain
3. Increase in packaging & shipping
4. Required trained personnel
5. Imprinting problems
RAW MATERIALS FOR SUGAR COATING

1. Sugar & it’s subtituents: Glucose, Lactose, Isomalt,

Sugar alcohols
2. Binders: Acacia, Gelatin, PVP
3. Coloring agents: Water soluble (dyes), water insoluble
(lakes)
4. Anti- Adherents: Talcum, Colloidal silica
5. Fillers: CaCO3, CaSO4, Starch, Talcum, TiO2
6. Polishing Agents: Beeswax, Carnauba wax, Paraffin
7. Other agents: Flavoring agents, Surfactants
FILM COATING
Coating tablets, capsules, or pellets by
surrounding them with a thin layer of polymeric
material.

Process: Single stage process, which involves

spraying a coating.

The solution or suspension is sprayed to a

rotating tablet bed followed by drying, which
facilitates the removal of the solvent leaving
behind the deposition of thin film of coating
materials around each tablet
 MATERIAL USED IN FILM COATING
Film coating contains the following;
1. Film forming Polymer : These are materials which
actually get adhered to the surface of the tablet and
form coat around the tablet. These are polymeric in
nature.
2. Characteristics:
A. They should be soluble in solvent of choice for
coating preparation.
B. They should be able to produce elegant looking
product.
C. They should have high stability against heat, light and
moisture.
D. It should be compatible with drug as well as other
excipients.
 FILM FORMING POLYMER

1. Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC)

2. Methyl Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose (MHEC)
3. Ethyl Cellulose (EC)
4. Hydroxy Propyl Cellulose (HPC)
5. Povidone
6. Acrylate Polymer
 SOLVENTS

Solvents are used to dissolve or disperse the polymers and

other additives.

Ideal requirement:
1. It should be able to dissolve or disperse polymer along
with other additives
2. It should not form too viscous solution with small
quantity of polymers
3. It should be easy to vaporize
4. It should be Colorless, tasteless, odourless, inert, non
toxic, non inflammable and inexpensive
Examples: Water, Methanol, ethanol, isopropanol,
chloroform, acetone, methylene chloride
 PLASTICIZERS

1. It is used to modify quality of film.

Concentration of polymer is expressed in
relation to the quantity of polymer used.
2. Plasticizer are used in the range of 1-50% of
polymer.
Examples: Castor oil, Glycerin, lower
molecular weight PEG , surfactants etc.
COLORANTS

1. Colorants can be used in solution form or in

suspension form.
2. Most common colorants FD&C or D&C
colorants. These are synthetic dyes or lakes.
3. Inorganic materials Iron oxide, Natural
coloring agent anthrocyanins, carotenoids.
FILM COATING

PROCESS:
• Single stage process, which involves
spraying a coating solution.
• The solution is sprayed onto a rotating tablet
bed followed by drying, which facilitates the
removal of the solvent leaving behind the
deposition of thin film of coating materials
around each tablet.
ENTERIC COATING

Enteric Coating:
The technique involved in enteric coating is protection of the tablet core
from disintegration in the acidic environment of the stomach by
employing pH sensitive polymer, which swell or solubilize in response to
an increase in pH to release the drug.
Aims of Enteric protection:
1. To mask taste or odor
2. Protection of active ingredients, from the acidic environment of the
stomach
3. Protection from local irritation of the stomach mucosa
4. Release of active ingredient in specific target area within
gastrointestinal tract
MATERIALS USED IN ENTERIC COATINGS

1. Shellac

2. Hydroxy Propyl Methylcellulose Phthalate

3. Polyvinyl Acetate Phthalate

4. Diethyl Phthalate

5. Cellulose Acetate Phthalate

 TABLET COATING EQUIPMENT

1) STANDARD COATING PAN

2) PERFORATED COATING PAN

(ACCELA-COTA PAN)

3) FLUIDIZED BED COATER

 STANDARD COATING PAN
1) Circular metal pan mounted at 40 degrees
2) 8-60 inch diameter
3) Rotated on its horizontal axis by a motor.
4) heated air is supplied by inlet air supply
5) Exhaust by means of ducts
6) coating solution are applied to tablets by ladling spraying
7) Use of atomizing system to produce even distribution of
produce even distribution of coating solution or suspension
DRAWBACKS OF STANDARD COATING PAN

1) Mixing efficiency of tablets was poor

2) Drying efficiency was low because much of drying took

place on surface of the tablet bed only

3) Improper balance b/w the introduced & exhausted air

increased the chances of health hazards for the operator &

risk of explosion when organic solvents were used in

coating solution
 PERFORATED COATING PANS
ACCELA-COTA PAN

1) Pan is fully perforated

2) Contains mixing blades

3) Inlet air is by a plenum in contact with the top

of the pan

4) Air is exhausted by a plenum located below the

pan
ACCELA-COTA PAN
 FLUIDIZED BED COATER

•It has vertical cylinder

•The drying air in column flows upwards suspending all the
tablets. This causes the tablets to move upwards, outwards
and then downwards, a process is called as Fluidization
•Spray nozzle atomizes and introduce the coating fluid into a
fluidized bed. The nozzles position can either be at the top or
bottom of FBC
•This process will continue until tablets get properly coated
FLUIDIZED BED COATER
COATING DEFECTS

CHIPPING:
Involves increased brittleness of the tablet

Causes: High degree of attrition associated with

the coating process like:
• Excessive use of fillers & pigments
• Low amount of polymers
Remedy: Increase hardness of the film by
increasing the molecular weight grade of
polymer
 STICKING & PICKING

Sticking involves sticking of the tablets with each other & with
pan walls.

Picking is the aftermath case of sticking involves adhering of some

portion of coated layer to pan or to another tablet at the point of
contact.

Causes: Higher rate of application of coating solution Inefficient

drying.
Remedy: Use optimum and efficient drying conditions. Increase the
inlet air temperature. Decrease the rater of application of coating
solution by increasing viscosity of coating solution.
 ROUGHNESS

Involves presence of previously dried sprayed coating solution

droplets onto the core

Causes:
Drying of coating solution before reaching the surface of tablet
during spraying
Excessive pigments concentration

Remedy:
Moving the nozzle closer enough
Reducing the degree of atomization
 CRACKING
The coating cracks when the internal stress exceeds the
tensile strength of tablets

Causes: Absorption of moisture. Internal stress

relaxation after compaction. Excessive coating material
concentration

Remedy: Adjusting the coating solution concentration

 TWINNING
Two or more tablets that sticking together

Causes:
Inefficient drying. Higher rate of application of
coating solution.
Remedy:
• Choosing appropriate shaped tablets
• Controlling the drying & rate of movement of
pan
• Adjusting the coating solution concentration
 BLOOMING/HAZING
The polish of product to take on a fogged appearance

Causes:
High temperature during formulation
Exposure to high humidity conditions

Remedy:
Controlling humidity conditions
Formulation temperature monitoring
 BRIDGING/FILLING
• Occurs in tablets consisting monogram or bisection
• Coating shrink or pull away-Bridging
• Too much filling & thereby narrowing -Filling

Causes:
• Improper application of the solution
• Poor design of the tablet embossing
• High coating viscosity
• High percentage of solids in the solution
• Improper atomization pressure

Remedy:
• Control of spraying of coating solution
• Soft edged font for monogram. Atomization control
• Concentration of coating material
 BLISTERING

An un-smooth coated surface shows a number

of uneven spots called blisters

Causes:
Effect of temperature on the strength, elasticity
and adhesion of the coat

Remedy:
Use mild drying condition
 ORANGE PEEL EFFECT
Coating texture that resembles the surface of an orange

Before drying causes a bumpy or “orange-peel” effect on

the coating

Causes:
• High atomization pressure in combination with spray
rates
• Too rapid drying
• High solution viscosity

Remedy:
• Thinning the solution with additional solvent
• Controlling the drying procedures
 COLOUR VARIATION

Variation in the proposed colour for coating.

Causes:
Improper mixing.
Uneven spray pattern.
In-sufficient coating.
Unevenness of the surface of the sub coat.

Remedy:
Using lake dyes.
Go for geometric mixing.
Use mild drying conditions.
THANK
YOU