Application of nano-particle coatings to carrier particles using an integrated fluidized bed supercritical fluid precipitation process

•RESS can be interfaced with conventional coating equipment.•Excipients can be used to capture nanoparticles of organics.•Issues regarding the handling of nanoparticles are improved.•Process avoids use of liquids and the procedure is simple and fast. Production of active ingredients such as pharmaceuticals in nano-particulate form is highly desirable but the resulting product is difficult to handle and to use in applications. A novel process is described for coating nanoparticles onto excipient particles of c. 300μm by rapid expansion of a supercritical solution (RESS) into two types of modified proprietary equipment: a Wurster coater and a fluidized bed. This novel approach has been demonstrated through the successful deposition of six mimics for active ingredients (benzoic acid, adamantane, ferrocene, phenanthrene, stearic acid and vitamin K3) on carrier excipient particles of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Evidence from SEM, EDX and Confocal Raman microscopy suggests that the coating particles are below 30nm in size. Unlike most conventional coating processes, this approach avoids the use of liquids and high temperatures. As a wide range of actives and excipients can potentially be employed, the approach is applicable across the process and product industries, in particular pharmaceutical, household goods, personal care and catalyst industries.