Embedding Manufacturing Development into Formulation Research (EMFormR)

Johnson Matthey, Unilever and ITS Ltd have established a project to develop approaches and techniques to allow manufacturing related information to be gleaned during the development of new formulations. Generally, and especially for products which contain multiple components, some of which do not mix (e.g. emulsions, creams, slurries, suspensions), the formulator does not significantly consider the issues that will arise when the new product transfers from the laboratory into pilot scale trials and finally into full scale manufacturing. This is inefficient in terms of research and development, and also leads to sub-optimal manufacturing; higher costs, higher environmental impact. Working with the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester, the project will address the key issues that have largely precluded gaining meaningful process information at the laboratory scale. This involves not only the time honoured issues of scale up but also specific difficulties of measuring in real time the critical product properties across all scales. Johnson Matthey and Unilever will apply the outcomes to vehicle emission control catalysts and hair care products respectively.