Electrohydrodynamic drying process of the amoxicillin powder using a high direct current (DC) voltage

Abstract

Electrohydrodynamic drying (EHD) processes have been applied in many experiments. However, EHD rarely applied to drying medications, specifically medical powders. The EHD process reduces the water level of materials through a coronal wind by placing them between two electrodes that conduct a strong electric field. In this study, EHD is applied using needles with copper plates as the two electrodes. Within the same surface area, different numbers of needles (2×2, 3×3, and 4×4) are arranged to conduct the positive charge using the copper plate as the grounding system. By using various numbers of needles and modifying the gap between them and the material, the effect of the EHD process on the material, namely amoxicillin powder, is determined. Based on the experimental results, a 2×2 needle arrangement and 2-cm gap between the needles and the sample have the fastest drying speed as compared to other needle numbers and gaps.