Controlled Release Technologies
The control of dosage of active ingredients from formulations is a highly desirable ability in many important applications. At CERAM, we have combined our appreciation for the challenges associated with controlled release with our extensive knowledge of materials and their technologies to develop a range of tailored solutions.
In general, there are three distinct situations in which controlled release adds value:
- When a particular ingredient, or combinations of ingredients, are incompatible in the product during storage, but would be advantageous to deliver together in use.
- When a particular ingredient, or combinations of ingredients, will be best delivered at a certain stage of the product use cycle.
- When it is desirable to meter the dosage of an ingredient over an extended period of time to provide a sustained benefit.
Examples of these situations include:
- Protection of bleaching ingredients in laundry cleaning formulations during storage to avoid reaction with other additives; once dispensed into the washing cycle, the protection can be designed to degrade, releasing the active bleach.
- Encapsulation of staged pharmaceutical delivery systems to provide for a rapid release of a primary agent, followed by a secondary therapeutic in sequence.
- The sustained release of flouride from a toothpaste formulation over time, or sustained delivery of nutrients into soil from a fertiliser product.
In each case, the key challenges for formulators are:
- How to create effective separation of the ingredients to be controlled.
- How to ensure that separation is maintained through storage, but released in use.
- How to control or trigger the release at the right time and place.
We have developed proprietary systems based on glass, ceramic and powder materials which utilise temperature, dissolution and mechanical triggers to provide options for a wide range of situations.
Our solutions, in the winning formulations of our clients, are market proven and capable of effective delivery of organic or inorganic agents, small or large molecules and over timescales from minutes to weeks.
Our technologies can give your products the winning competitive edge, delivering unique and valuable benefits to your customers, controlled at the time they really need them.