Chrominfo: Difference between dry granulation and wet granulation

The major difference between dry granulation and wet granulation is that in the process of dry granulation the granules are produced without using a granulating liquid, while in the wet granulation process the granules are produced by the addition of granulating liquid.

The granulation is the method in which primary powder particles are followed to form larger multi-entities called granules. Generally, it is used to prepare the tablet dosage form. The granulation techniques for tablet manufacture are broadly classified into two types, dry granulation, and wet granulation.

Dry granulation is a type of granulation process in which no granulating liquid is used in the formation of granules. This process is mainly suitable for the components that are extremely sensitive to heat and moisture. The primary powder particles in this process are aggregated under high pressure.

Wet granulation is a type of granulation process in which granulating liquid is used in the formation of granules. The liquid used in this process is volatile and non-toxic which can be easily removed by drying out the final product.

Difference between dry granulation and wet granulation:

In dry granulation, finely ground powder is directly compressed.
In wet granulation, firstly powered mixed with a granulating fluid by forcing through a sieve and then compressed to prepare a tablet.
If there is a delay in the case of dry granular batch manufacturing, there is no possibility of losing the batch.
The probability of losing the batch is high, for example, electrical failure, instrument failure, or manual delay.
In dry granulation there is no wetting of materials, hence there are fewer chances of influence of raw material.
In wet granulation there is the wetting of materials, hence there are more chances of influence of raw material, for example, density, and particle size distribution.
Dry granulation is used for compounds that are sensitive to moisture and heat.
Wet granulation is used to prevent the degradation of active ingredients in the powder.
The dry granulation process involves less equipment and space which are cost-effective.
The wet granulation process involves more equipment and space which are more expensive than the dry granulation process.
If there is a delay in the case of wet granulation batch manufacturing, the probability of losing the batch is high, for example, electrical failure, instrument failure, or manual delay.
The dry granulation requires less cleaning cycle compared with wet granulation.
The scale-up of dry granulation is less complex than wet granulation.