Classification of Pharmaceutical Packaging Materials
Pharmaceutical packaging materials have an important impact on the quality, shelf life, packaging form, and cost of drugs. Their basic properties include stability, barrier performance, structural properties, and processability. Pharmaceutical packaging can be classified by purpose into primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging, with the highest requirements for primary packaging materials.
| Classification Method | Category | Characteristics | Common Materials |
| By Composition | Plastic | Lightweight, moisture-proof, easy to process | Polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. |
| Glass | Good chemical stability, strong airtightness | Soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass | |
| Rubber | Good elasticity, resistant to chemical corrosion | Synthetic rubber, natural rubber | |
| Metal | High strength, excellent barrier performance | Aluminum (commonly used) | |
| Composite Materials | Combination of multiple properties | Aluminum-plastic composite film, etc. | |
| By Shape | Containers | Packaging for solid and liquid medications | Bottles, cans |
| Sheets, Films | Covering, barrier protection | Aluminum foil sheets, plastic films | |
| Bags | Used for packaging granules and liquids | Plastic bags, composite bags | |
| Stoppers, Caps | Seal the openings of containers | Rubber stoppers, aluminum caps | |
| Auxiliary Materials | Special-purpose protection | Pharmaceutical labels, etc. | |
| By Sealing Performance | Sealed Containers | Prevents the entry of solid foreign substances | Cartons, paper bags |
| Airtight Containers | Prevents the entry of solids and liquids | Plastic bags, glass bottles | |
| Sealed Containers | Prevents the entry of gases and microorganisms | Ampoules, vials, etc. |
Common Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Corresponding Packaging Materials
| Dosage Form | Common Pharmaceutical Packaging Materials/Containers | Materials |
| Injection > 50mL | Plastic bottles, glass bottles | PP, PVC, co-extruded films, glass, etc. |
| Injection < 50mL, Powder Injection | Ampoules, vials | Glass |
| Tablets, Capsules, Pills | Pharmaceutical composite hard tablets, aluminum-plastic blister packs | Aluminum-plastic blister packs, aluminum foil |
| Oral liquids, syrups, suspensions, etc. | Glass oral liquid bottles, plastic bottles | Glass, pharmaceutical plastic |
| Eye drops, nasal drops, ear drops, etc. | Pharmaceutical dropper bottles | Pharmaceutical plastic |
| Ointments | Pharmaceutical ointment tubes | Pharmaceutical aluminum tubes, pharmaceutical aluminum-plastic tubes |
| Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients | Pharmaceutical aluminum bottles, packaging bags | Aluminum, pharmaceutical PVC films, bags |
Pharmaceutical packaging materials play an important role in ensuring drug quality, extending shelf life, optimizing packaging forms, and controlling costs. Their basic properties include stability (not chemically reactive with drugs), barrier performance (preventing the intrusion of gases, moisture, and light), structural performance (durability and support), and processability (ease of production and forming).
Pharmaceutical Packaging Metal Materials
Commonly used metal materials for packaging include ferrous packaging materials and aluminum packaging materials. The container forms are mostly barrels, cans, tubes, and cylinders.
Aluminum, due to its easy extrusion and punching properties, can be made into containers in various shapes and is widely used in aluminum tubes, aluminum-plastic blister packaging, and double aluminum foil packaging, making it one of the most commonly used technical materials.
Pharmaceutical Packaging Polymer Materials
| Material Type | Properties and Advantages | Disadvantages or Precautions | Applications and Remarks |
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | General barrier properties | Harmful to humans, impacts the environment, restricted use in Europe and America | Gradually being replaced in pharmaceutical packaging |
| Polyester (PET) | Good barrier properties, transparency, antibacterial properties, cold resistance, low toxicity, suitable for drug protection and storage | No obvious disadvantages | Widely used in pharmaceutical packaging |
| Polypropylene (PP) | Excellent transparency, good barrier properties, non-toxic, good processing adaptability, recyclable | No obvious disadvantages | Commonly used for pharmaceutical bottles, tablet packaging, etc. |
| Polyethylene (PE) | Strong barrier properties, excellent transparency, non-toxic, good processing adaptability, recyclable | No obvious disadvantages | Suitable for pharmaceutical films, bottle caps, etc. |
| Cyclo-Olefin Copolymer (COC) | Excellent heat sealing performance | Brittle, needs to be compounded with PP for processing | Suitable for high-performance thermoforming equipment |
