Application analysis of pharmaceutical blister packaging printing materials (2)

Third, the development trend of pharmaceutical packaging and printing materials

1. Bar-shaped packaging printing film (SP film)

Strip packaging printing film (SP film, Strip Packaging) is the use of two layers of pharmaceutical strip packaging film (SP), the drug sandwiched between a unit of medicine between a certain distance, in the strip packaging machine around the drug The inner layer of the SP film is heat-sealed, and a unit package form is formed by pressing a tooth mark between medicines.

Bar-shaped packaging can be continuously operated on a bar-shaped packaging machine, especially for large-volume automatic packaging. When taking drugs, the SP film can be torn along the tooth marks. Taking a dose of medicine does not affect the packaging and storage of other medicines. For some larger dosage forms, those that require strong hygroscopicity, are sensitive to UV light, have heat and cold resistance, and require a long period of validity may use such packaging. The strip-shaped packaging printing film is an aluminum-plastic composite film having a certain tensile strength and elongation, and is suitable for solid medicines of various shapes and sizes and is less prone to cracks and wrinkles. The commonly used aluminum-plastic printing composite films are: glass paper and aluminum foil and polyethylene composite (PT/AL/PE), polyester and aluminum foil and polyethylene composite (PET/AL/PE) and so on. The internal structure consists of a base layer, a printing layer, a high barrier layer, and a sealing layer. On the outside of the base layer, the heat-seal layer and the high-barrier layer and the print layer are in the middle. The base material is required to have excellent mechanical properties, gloss, good printability, good barrier properties, and safety and non-toxicity. The base printing materials used were PET, PT and cellophane with PVDC coating. High barrier layers require good gas barrier properties, moisture resistance, non-bacterial and microbial resistance, good mechanical properties, a certain degree of elongation, resistance to heat and cold, and safety and non-toxicity. The typical material used is a soft aluminum foil that is opaque, stainless, and highly opaque. If you need a transparent strip packaging film, use PVDC as a high barrier material, which can block gas and water vapor, and can better maintain the original flavor of the drug. The sealing layer is the inner layer of the strip packaging film, which has excellent heat sealing properties, and also has chemical stability and safety and health. LDPE (low density polyethylene) materials can be selected. At present, foreign pharmaceutical strip packaging film has developed from double to multi-layer composite.

2, vacuum aluminum film

Vacuum aluminum coating is a flexible packaging film that evaporates aluminum onto various base films under high vacuum conditions. The aluminum coating is very thin. The materials widely used in the packaging of powders, granules, and powders of Chinese patent medicines include vacuum aluminized films such as PETP, CPP, PT, OPP, and PE. The most widely used materials are PETP, CPP, and PE vacuum aluminized films. In addition to the characteristics of a plastic base film, the vacuum aluminum film packaging also has a beautiful decorative and good barrier properties. In particular, after various plastic substrates are plated with aluminum, their light transmittance, oxygen permeability, water permeability, and water vapor transmission rate are reduced by several tens or hundreds of times. Used for pharmaceutical packaging, it can prevent moldy and damp deterioration of drugs and ensure the safety of consumers' medication.

3, biaxially oriented polypropylene (B0PP)

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) printing materials have good transparency, heat resistance and barrier properties. It can be used as outer layer material for medicine packaging composite bags. Combining it with heat sealable LDPE and EVA (ethylene copolymer) or aluminum foil can greatly improve the stiffness and physical properties of the composite film. If the base film of BOPP is coated with PVPC with good moisture-proof and good barrier properties, the anti-permeation performance can be greatly improved.

4, polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)

Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) printing material is a kind of plastic film printing material with the best barrier property. There are mainly heat-resistant coating films such as gas-barrier PP, CPE (cast polyethylene), PET, and coated PVDC films. The low-priced PVDC coating composite film can be used not only in pharmaceutical packaging, but also in heat-resistant coating packaging for heating foods. The PVDC film has oxygen barrier properties and can prevent the mold from producing carbon dioxide during its maturation. It can also be designed as a gas barrier PVDC film bag with a pressure relief valve, which can be used under high temperature and high humidity conditions. Excellent barrier properties to oxygen and moisture during transport and storage. PVDC coated composite films for pharmaceuticals and foods are also used in China to make high-temperature cooking sterilization bags and preservation bags. It has been widely used in the packaging of meat, cakes, tea, and solid beverages, and can prevent water from losing moisture, blocking gas, maintaining fragrance, preventing corrosion, and keeping fresh.

5, fluorine halogenated hydrocarbon film

Fluorohalogenated hydrocarbon film is a drug packaging printing material used in the future. The plastic film is a copolymer of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), which is nonflammable and excellent in barrier property. The film has a unique range of applications such as CTFE and ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers. The CTFE film is still soft below -320°C, and the melting point is between 360°C and 400°C, depending on the grade and degree of crystallization. The chemical nature of CTFE is inert and can withstand the erosion of severe chemicals that metals, ceramics, and other plastics cannot withstand. In addition, the moisture permeability of the CTFE film is lower than any plastic film, and its hygroscopicity is virtually zero. And can be combined with a variety of substrates, such as PE (polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PET (polyester), NY (nylon), AL (aluminum foil), etc., can also be sprayed with vacuum aluminum spray method or Metal plating. CTFE films and their composites are mainly used to package tablets and capsules that require high moisture protection.

The drug packaging and printing materials described above can ensure the barrier and safety required for pharmaceutical packaging. Therefore, it is widely used in the packaging of pharmaceutical tablets, capsules, and proprietary Chinese medicine powders and powders. It is a pharmaceutical packaging printing material with promising development prospects.

--- Shandong Pharmaceutical Packaging Research Institute