Povidone Iodine

Iodine, a halogen element, has been a crucial antiseptic and antimicrobial agent in medical and hygienic applications for centuries. Iodine is a potent pathogen killer, capable of penetrating cells and degrading functional proteins and nucleic acids to kill microorganisms. However, in its elemental form, iodine is a volatile, non-polar substance with poor water solubility, which presents challenges in its effective use and processing as an antiseptic. This underscores the necessity for iodine to be bound to a carrier polymer.

The most commonly utilized and optimal carrier polymer is PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone, also known as povidone) K30. This water-soluble polymer exhibits a distinctive capacity to form complexes with an array of substances, functioning as a carrier through hydrogen bonding with iodine. PVP serves to enhance the stability, solubility, controlled release, and wide utilization of iodine.

The PVP-I (polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine) complex is based on a liquid-solid reaction process, which is a fundamental process known worldwide. This process involves the dissolution of PVP in a solvent, followed by the addition of iodine and subsequent processing, and finally, drying. Nevertheless, the disadvantages inherent to this process render it an unfavorable production method:

Solvent-Related Issues
 

 

  • Environmental impact: The use of solvents, often organic compounds, can be harmful to the environment if not properly managed. Solvent recovery and disposal can add to the production cost and complexity.
  • Residual solvent: Complete removal of the solvent from the final product can be challenging. Even trace amounts of residual solvent can affect the product's stability, purity, and safety.

 

Process Efficiency and Cost
 

 

  • Energy consumption: The drying process to remove the solvent can be energy-intensive, increasing production costs.
  • Time-consuming: The overall production process, including solvent removal, can be relatively time-consuming compared to other methods.
  • Equipment and maintenance: The production process requires specialized equipment for solvent handling, purification, and drying, which can increase capital and maintenance costs.

 

Product Quality and Consistency
 

 

  • Iodine loss: Some iodine can be lost during the solvent evaporation process, affecting the product's potency.
  • Particle size control: Achieving consistent particle size in the final product can be challenging, which may impact the product's performance.
  • The stability of the product: is a crucial factor in ensuring the quality and safety of the final product. The stability of the final product may be affected by a number of factors, including the residual solvent and moisture content.

 

The team at Quality Povidone Pharmatech Group, established in 2024 in Turkey/Adana, has been actively working for two years and after conducting the required analyzes on American standards has developed a reactor capable of producing high-quality and stable PVP-I in a solid form with the best modern technologies suitable for povidone iodine powder.

This approach is economically viable and provides the desired yield, with benefits such as ease of production, faster production, higher iodine content, lower costs, environmental friendliness due to the absence of solvents, and minimal energy loss as the dry product is obtained directly. The constantly updated reactor is now available for purchase after reaching its final form.

Following a comprehensive analysis of the shortcomings associated with the liquid method and two years of rigorous experimentation, the production line for povidone iodine powder by the solid method was industrialized and developed. The solid method was ultimately selected due to the following reasons:

1. No solvents are used in the manufacturing process
 

 

  • The environmental impact of this process can be described as follows: The absence of a solvent in the reaction of povidone with iodine precludes the use of organic compounds that could potentially harm the environment. Consequently, the purification of the final product from the solvent is not necessary.

 

2. High efficiency at a lower cost
 

 

  • Less energy consumption: A reduction in energy consumption is an additional benefit. The absence of a solvent and the lack of a drying process, as previously mentioned, result in a reduction in energy consumption, which subsequently lowers the cost of production.
  • Higher production in less time: The objective is to achieve higher production in less time. The drying process is inherently time-consuming and energy-intensive in comparison to the production process. However, in the context of our reactor, the elimination of the drying step has the potential to significantly reduce overall production time.
  • Capital and maintenance: Also, because there is no solvent, there is no need for purification, drying and maintenance during production, reducing the capital required.

 

3. High quality and stability of the product
 

 

  • Higher iodine content and potency: The production process is a solid-solid reaction, eliminating the need for a solvent and the subsequent negative impact on iodine content and potency. In the case of our reactor, iodine content and potency is higher and not affected by additional processes such as evaporation and drying.
  • High stability: The system exhibits high stability. As previously stated, stability is a fundamental and crucial aspect of the production process. One of the primary factors influencing stability is the solvent, which is absent in our company's reactor, thereby conferring enhanced stability and quality.

 

The utilization of solvents and iodine solutions has the potential to pose health risks to workers if the requisite safety precautions are not taken and safety protocols are not strictly adhered to, with the objective of preventing accidents and injuries during the production process. In light of these constraints, the location of the production line and the design of the production line were based on occupational health and safety criteria.

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