Packaging fill volume

Small Volume Parenteral A sterile injectable product intended for administration under or through the skin with a nominal fill volume of 100 mi or less. It may be packaged in glass or suitable plastic material. 

The nominal content is 100 mL, the maximal fill volume 130 mL. Graduation indicates 50 mL, 75 mL and 1(X) mL. The closure consists of 4 parts a strong screw cap, a flexible cannula, a rubber one-way check valve in the screw cap and a cap. The cannula is usually lubricated with vaseline. The length of the cannula is 52 mm and the top is rounded. Due to the bellows design of the shoulder the bottle can bend which makes administration easier. Water loss by evaporation is relatively small in relation to the fill volume. After administration a small volume (<2 mL with a 100 mL enema) remains in the bottle. The enema bottle provides little protection against the influence of light, so the bottle should be wrapped in aluminium foil or packaged in a secOTidary container if necessary. 

For packaging products, it is reiativeiy easy to determine the necessary filling volume with 3D design methods and then iteratively calculate the necessary outside dimensions of the product. This minimizes errors in volume and dimension that can cause substantial costs for reworking. Also, the geometry of the article can be easily determined. The expected article mass derives from the wall thickness in the middle and the density of the material. 

Since beverage cans, particularly two-piece cans, are made with very thin side walls, their ability to resist vertical top loads is limited. It is not until they have been filled with carbonated product and the product has reached room temperature that cans achieve full top-load strength. For non-carbonated products this can be a problem however, there are systems available which can inject a precise volume of liquid nitrogen into a filled can, just before the end is seamed on to the can body. As the liquid converts to a gaseous state, it expands. This helps to expel excess oxygen from the headspace, which may otherwise affect shelf life, and provides the internal pressure required for side-wall strength and package stability. 

The entire surface of the laminate is sterilised with hydrogen peroxide before it is filled and shaped into packs. This has proved to be a very efficient and safe technique. The filling takes place in a sterile environment which is small and has few moving parts. These are important factors that contribute to the integrity of the system. The packs are sealed through the liquid, which means they are completely filled and the contents are thus fully protected against oxidation. The brik format makes very effective use of materials and economical use of bulk volume in palletisation and distribution 93% is product and only 7% is primary and secondary packaging. 

Packaging is the largest application area for bioplastics in North America with 41 % of total volumes in 2005. Other significant markets are loose-fill packaging foam and bags and sacks. 

Packaging is the largest market for biodegradable polymers in Asia Pacific with 44% of market volume in 2005. Bags and sacks is the second largest market with 21% followed by loose-fill packaging with 15%. 

As a relatively mature market for starch-based biopolymers, loose-fill packaging volumes are forecast to grow by 8.6% per annum in Western Europe, 6.8% per annum in North America and by 5.6% per annum in Asia Pacific. 

In 2005, starch-based materials were the largest class of biodegradable polymer with just over 47% of total market volumes. Loose-fill foam packaging accounts for more than a half of starch biopolymer volumes. Polylactic acid (PLA) is the second largest material class followed by synthetic aliphatic-aromatic co-polyesters. The PHA category is at an embryonic stage of market development with very low market tonnage at the moment. 

Bulkiness The specific bulk volume, the reciprocal of bulk density, is often called bulkiness or bulk. It is an important consideration in the packaging and filling of powders for tablet production. The bulk density of calcium carbonate can vary from 0.1 to 1.3, and the lightest or bulkiest type would require a container about 13 times larger than the heaviest type. Bulkiness increases with a decrease in particle size. In a mixture of materials of different sizes, however, the smaller particles sift between the larger ones and tend to reduce the bulkiness. 

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