The size of pharmaceutical pellets is between 100 µm and 1400 µm. For the sake of high monodispersity, pharmaceutical pellets are ordered in different size classes. For example, microcrystalline cellulose pellets (Cellets) are available in standard classes:
- Type of MCC pellet
- Cellets 100
- Cellets 200
- Cellets 350
- Cellets 500
- Cellets 700
- Cellets 1000
- size of pellets (*)
- 100-200 µm
- 200-355 µm
- 350-500 µm
- 500-710 µm
- 700-1000 µm
- 1000-1400 µm
(*) Test method: Cellets Standard. Particle size distribution ≥ 85 %. Overview. / technical specifications.
Advantage of small pellet sizes:
- large surface-to-volume ratio
- small elementary particles in formulations
- easy swallowing and high customer compliance
- application: mini-tablets, capsules, tables
Advantage of large pellet sizes:
- small surface-to-volume ratio
- large elementary particles in formulations
- easy coating and layering of small excipient or API fractions
- application: tables, sachet, stick packs
Special sizes are avialable on request. See for more information: Cellets product information. Size of functional tartaric acid pellets (TAP): See: TAP product information.
A converter which relates pellet sizes and mesh sizes of sieves is a meaningful tool.