The pharmaceutical industry plays a crucial role in promoting both physical and mental well-being. It encompasses various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and sanitary materials, holding a significant position in the national economy. Titanium, known for its non-toxicity, harmlessness, and excellent compatibility with the human body, finds widespread application in the pharmaceutical industry.
Corrosion poses a significant challenge in pharmaceutical production due to the use of acids, alkalis, and salts. Traditional steel equipment is prone to severe corrosion under these conditions, resulting in substantial losses of resources and hindering normal production. Titanium equipment offers an effective solution to this problem.
Several commonly used drugs have benefited from the corrosion resistance of titanium equipment, leading to significant economic advantages:
Vitamin B1 production:
In the production of vitamin B1 using the hydrogen chloride conversion method, the drying process involves cyclone separation using thiamine hydrochloride as the medium. With a highly corrosive pH of 2.5 and a temperature of 110°C, the original stainless steel drying device suffered from corrosion and perforation within a year, severely contaminating the medication.
By employing titanium equipment such as a screw feeder, cyclone separator, vortex body, hopper, discharge pipe, and titanium lining for the exhaust box, the production qualification rate of vitamin B1 increased from a maximum of 95% to 100%. The titanium equipment remained corrosion-free for more than 7 years, allowing the cost of titanium to be recovered within 3 months.
Vitamin C production:
Vitamin C is produced from sorbitol through fermentation into sorbose using black vinegar bacteria, followed by further fermentation with Pseudomonas to obtain low-concentration gluconic acid. Concentration and conversion into the final product occur using hydrogen chloride.
Titanium exhibits excellent resistance to corrosion in high-temperature chronic acid environments. In the production process of vitamin C, titanium tubular heat exchangers, a titanium DHC-500 disc sinking type automatic slag discharge centrifuge, and a TC4 cast impeller have been employed, with no signs of corrosion observed over many years.
Antibiotic production:
The main raw material for the chemical synthesis of chloramphenicol, an antibiotic, contains methyl dichloroacetate, which includes approximately 2% chlorinated alkene and trichloroethylene. Steel equipment used in the refining process is susceptible to severe corrosion. However, employing titanium equipment has proven effective, as it has remained intact without corrosion issues since its installation.
Manufacture of narcotics:
Procaine hydrochloride, used for local anesthesia, is produced from p-nitrotoluene. The entire production process, including oxidation to p-nitrobenzoic acid, acetic acid washing, and mother liquor recovery, involves strong corrosive conditions. To combat this, titanium-steel composite plate inner cylinders, titanium bubble tubes, glacial acetic acid circulating condensers, and vapor-liquid separators have been utilized, effectively solving the corrosion problem.
Production of anthelmintics and other medicines:
In the production of Ascaris net (tetraimidazole), a highly efficient intestinal nematode anthelmintic, stainless steel equipment has caused product contamination due to corrosion.
For the production of nitrochlorophenol, a special veterinary drug used to treat Fasciola hepatica in cattle and sheep, a titanium dosing tank agitator has been employed, operating smoothly to date. Additionally, in pharmaceutical production, where activated carbon is commonly used for decolorization, replacing stainless steel suction filters with titanium suction filters has proven successful, maintaining excellent condition even after 9 years of use.
Titanium reactors are used abroad for the production of brominated amino acids in processes such as bromination, separation, salting out, extraction, and steaming. In my country, the use of titanium equipment is deemed necessary for the preparation of malaria drugs, anti-schistosomiasis drugs, contraceptives, and rheumatism drugs that come into contact with chloride ions from quinoline derivatives. Other applications where titanium materials are feasible include penicillin esterification kettles, saccharification tanks, chloramphenicol thin film evaporators, Analgin reactors, metal filters, dimethyl sulfate coolers, and liquid medicine filters. These choices stem from the inherent properties and indispensable nature of titanium equipment in the pharmaceutical industry.
