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Novel non-hygroscopic effervescent formulations

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Scientists at the University of Bradford have recently developed a non hygroscopic effervescent formulation which increases the stability of the formulation in the presence of small amounts of moisture in the atmosphere and addresses the challenges in effervescent product manufacturing, packaging and subsequent storage.

The global market for effervescent products is estimated in the multi $billion and covers a wide range of industries including pharmaceutical, healthcare and household cleaning. However, the manufacture of effervescent formulations (powders/tablets) is not straight-forward as moisture in the atmosphere leads to the initiation of the neutralisation reaction between the key ingredients, degrading the product and rendering unusable. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that organic acids are hygroscopic and readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere; this is enhanced when the acids are mixed with other excipients typical of most formulations. As a consequence manufacturing is performed at low humidity in specialist units in which the level of moisture is regulated. The controlled thermo-hygrometric conditions, high maintenance cost of processing equipment and special packaging materials make manufacturing of effervescent preparation expensive and challenging.

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