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The effect of freeze‐drying parameters on the cure characteristics of freeze‐dried BSA‐loaded silicone elastomer
Author(s) -
McConville Christopher,
Woolfson Andrew David,
Malcolm Robert Karl
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.38012
Subject(s) - elastomer , materials science , silicone , composite material , freeze drying , water content , moisture , chromatography , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , engineering
To formulate therapeutic proteins into polymeric devices the protein is typically in the solid state, which can be achieved by the process of freeze‐drying. However, freeze‐drying not only risks denaturing the protein but it can adversely affect the cure characteristics of protein‐loaded silicone elastomers. This study demonstrates that a variation in the parameters of the freeze‐dryer can significantly affect the residual moisture content of freeze‐dried BSA, which in turn has an effect on the bulk density and flow properties of the BSA. The bulk density and flow properties of the BSA subsequently affect the cure characteristics of BSA‐loaded silicone elastomers. An increase in the residual moisture content results in the freeze‐dried BSA having a decreased bulk density and poor flow properties which can have a detrimental effect on the cure characteristics of a freeze‐dried BSA‐loaded silicone elastomer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013