Extrusion–spheronisation of microcrystalline cellulose pastes using a non-aqueous liquid binder

An experimental investigation of extrusion–spheronisation (E–S) of a novel microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) formulation, comprising dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the granulating liquid, is reported. The extrusion–spheronisation performance of DMSO/MCC pastes is compared to that of similar water/MCC formulations and their rheological behaviours similarly assessed using lubricated squeeze flow. A case study involving water, DMSO and anhydrous ethanol yields important information regarding the physico-chemical properties necessary for solvents to be suitable for the extrusion of MCC.