ALU-ALU Packaging Vs ALU-PVC Blister Packaging: Waste to Value - A Comparative Analysis

Especially when referred to as ALU-ALU Packaging, typically does not contain plastic within the layers of aluminium used. However, in other types of Blister Packaging, Such as Alu-PVC a layer of Plastic (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC) is used along with aluminium. Understanding the composition of different blister packaging types is crucial for discerning their protective capabilities and appropriate application in the pharmaceutical industry.

Introduction of Oral Solids

In the pharmaceutical sector, packaging plays a critical role in preserving the quality of drug goods during distribution as well as ensuring their safety and effectiveness.  The packaging serves as an essential barrier, shielding the medication from external influences and guaranteeing its stability from manufacturing to the final consumer, even though the drug itself has a set shelf life.  In addition to providing protection, packaging is essential for increasing customer attractiveness.  A well-designed packaging with eye-catching artwork and useful design can have a big impact on customer loyalty and perception.  For example, medications packaged in premium, laminated blisters or cartons protect the substance and encourage proper dose, both of which contribute to improved health results. To ensure the quality of pharmaceutical items during storage, transportation, delivery, sale, and usage, pharmaceutical packaging is essential.  To guarantee that the medications reach the patient safely, the packaging is designed to encapsulate or protect the pharmaceutical items.  The process of properly positioning pharmaceuticals to maintain their therapeutic efficacy from the moment of packaging till consumption is known as packaging.  

“Packaging Is the Art and Science Which Involves Preparing the Articles for Transport, Storage, Display and Use.”

There are 3 types of packaging systems available for pharmaceutical industries which are

1.  Primary Packaging: The container that is directly in contact with the medication formulation. The primary objective of this packaging is to protect the product from environmental, chemical, mechanical, and other hazards. The stability of the product largely depends on the material used for the packaging.
2. Secondary Packaging: The package outside the primary container is referred to as the secondary packaging system, which includes plastic crates, cardboard, and show boxes, also known as cartons. This system provides additional protection during warehousing and delivers detailed information about the product, such as leaflets. The two main functions of these systems are to protect the flexible containers and to safeguard them from rough handling during transportation.
3. Tertiary Packaging: The tertiary packaging system is the outer package of the secondary packaging which is supposed to prevent the products from damage. Common types of tertiary packaging in pharmaceutical industry are cardboard boxes, Pallets and Shrink films. It needs to be robust enough to withstand the environmental challenges during transport. Packaging plays a critical role in preserving the purity and quality of pharmaceutical products, safeguarding them from spoilage, contamination, and manipulation. This ensures that a safe and effective dosage form is available to patients up until the product’s expiration. In an industry as highly regulated as healthcare, it is imperative for healthcare organizations and pharmacies to utilize packaging that complies with the stringent requirements set forth by regulatory authorities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The ideal requirements for the container or package should be such as:

1. Protection from Environmental Hazards.
2. Protection from Mechanical Hazards.
3. Prevention of Leaching.
4. Appealing Appearance.
5. Ease of Access.
6. Tamper-Resistant and Child-Resistant Features.
7. Cost-Effectiveness and Sustainability

Aluminium As a Packaging Material in Medicinal Industry:

The medical field is an important but sometimes dangerous one. The type of goods and services it offers patients is the cause. Aluminium is an incredibly flexible material that is used extensively in many different industries, but it is most commonly used in the healthcare sector. Its distinct combination of chemical and physical qualities has made it an appealing choice for pill, capsule and medicine packaging. Its outstanding durability and lightweight nature stand out among its many benefits for pharmaceutical packaging, making it convenient to handle and deal with.

Figure 1. ALU-ALU Blister Packaging

Superior protection against environmental elements that can jeopardize the stability or potency of medications is offered by aluminum foil. Additionally, these barrier qualities contribute to the product's longer shelf life, which is important for pharmaceutical organizations that need to handle their sensitive medications with precision. Nevertheless, there are worries about the possible health hazards connected to the use of aluminium in pharmaceutical packaging, despite its many benefits. It is commonly known that certain drugs and aluminium might interact chemically, compromising the treatment's safety and effectiveness. In severe cases, aluminium may even gradually infiltrate into the medication, causing an accumulation of aluminium in the body. The aluminium foil is used to create a push-through closure with lid film or blister film where tablets and capsules are protected perfectly and hygienically. These blister packs are compact and easy to port and handle. The integration of aluminum foil has made aluminum blister foil manufacturers keep every tablet well protected from the effects of the external environment and hence keep the effectiveness of all the tablets intact.

Types of Aluminium Foil Packaging:

1. Blister Packs: These are the most common form of pharmaceutical packaging. They consist of a cavity or pocket made from a formable material, usually plastic and a lidding material made from aluminium foil. Blister packs are used for tablets and capsules, providing a secure environment and easy access for patients.
2. Strip Packs: In strip packs, tablets or capsules are enclosed between two layers of aluminium foil. This type of packaging offers excellent protection but can be less convenient for patients to open compared to blister packs.
3. Child-Resistant Foil: Safety is a key concern in pharmaceutical packaging. Aluminium foil can be designed to be child-resistant, ensuring that children cannot easily access the medications, thereby preventing accidental ingestion.

PVC/PVDC As a Packaging Material in Medicinal Industry:

Two blister packaging materials that are frequently used in the pharmaceutical business are PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride), although they can be hazardous to people and the environment. Pharmaceutical firms are therefore searching for fresh substitutes. Although polypropylene is a good option, processing it can be challenging. This article offers several coping mechanisms and performs a quick examination in this area.

Figure 2. PVC/PVDC Blisters Packaging

Reasons for selecting PVC/PVDC:

1. Low Permeability:
2. Increased Safety:
3. Excellent Thermo Formability:
4. Compatibility with other materials:
5. Cost-efficiency:
6. Enables radiation sterilization
7. Available in varied sizes and color shades
8. Finest organoleptic properties so the taste and odor is neutral
9. High dimension stability
10. Remarkable heat-sealing Properties
11. High dimension stability
12. Gas transmission and moisture rates are low
13. Appreciable vacuum formation, toughness and durability.

Alu-Alu Blister Packaging:

1. Composition:

• ALU-ALU blister packaging consists entirely of Aluminium Layers that creates a robust barrier against moisture, Light and Oxygen. In this type, Both the base and lidding materials are made from aluminium films. This structure provides a very high level of protection making it ideal for sensitive pharmaceutical products. ALU-ALU comes in a multiple layered structure and used as aluminium based materials for both the base and lidding of the blister packs. Aluminium foil layers play a vital role in protecting the content inside the blister cavity. Additionally, it also serves as a shield against moisture, air and UV rays and also enhance shelf life and tamper resistance.

2. Manufacture:

• Typically, the ALU-ALU blister packs are produced by the following steps:

1. Blister Formation: Due to the characteristics of the materials, ALU-ALU packaging is made by cold forming. The aluminium foil is sandwiched between layers of plastic film during the process. The laminate is pressed into a mold cavity using a stamp without applying heat.
2. Product Filling: The formed blister pack is then transferred to the filling station, where the cavities are filled with the required products.
3. Sealing: After filling, another layer of aluminum foil is applied on top of the filled blister cavities by sealing.
4. Perforation and Cutting: The sealed blisters are then perforated if necessary and cut into individual packs.

3. Advantages:

• Aluminium foil offers exceptional protection for the medication from humidity, oxygen and UV radiation. These external elements could degrade its quality or efficacy.
• The robust design of the ALU-ALU pack safeguards against physical damage or impact during handling, transportation, and storage.
• Superior barrier properties of ALU-ALU packaging contribute to an extended shelf life for pharmaceutical products.
• ALU-ALU Packaging features tamper resistance. For example, blister perforation or tear-off tabs can provide visible indications of tampering. This ensures the integrity of the products inside.

4. Disadvantages:

• ALU-ALU is generally more expensive than other packaging solutions due to aluminum-based materials. It can lead to increased production costs.
• Though the aluminum foil itself is recyclable the blisters in ALU-ALU Packaging are not made from this single material.
• Also, Aluminium foil is not biodegradable, so it has environmental implications to some extent.
• The aluminum-based materials used in the packaging make it difficult to visually inspect the contents of each blister cavity without opening the package.
• Aluminium foil is not that flexible compared to plastic material. It can’t be simply molded into any shape.

Alu-Pvc Blister Packaging:

1. Composition:

• ALU-PVC integrates a layer of Plastic along with aluminium specially, it uses a clear PVC film as the base, which is coated with aluminium foil. This combination allows for better visibility of the product but generally offers less barrier protection compared to the ALU-ALU packaging. The choice between ALU-ALU and ALU-PVC packaging hinges on the sensitivity of the products being packaged. ALU-ALU’s full aluminium composition serves to protect hygroscopic medications from environmental factors which is critical for their stability and efficacy. ALU-PVC blister packaging incorporates a plastic layer along with aluminium, serving to provide different levels of protection based on the needs of the product being packaged.
• ALU-PVC is a combination of 2 materials which utilizes a clear PVC film as its base coated with a layer of Aluminium foil to create the blister pack. It also offers a robust and flexible base for securely holding the medication. Aluminium foil layer is sealed to the PVC film providing a protective barrier to prevent moisture, oxygen and light from degradation.

2. Manufacture:

• The ALU-PVC packaging process is quite similar to the ALU-ALU process. The major difference lies in the blister forming step.

1. Blister Formation: ALU-PVC packaging utilizes thermoforming. The plastic film is heated to a specific temperature to be soft and pliable. It is then placed on a mold and subjected to vacuum or pressure to shape the blister cavity.
2. Product Filling: After being formed, the blister pack is taken to the filling station, where the products are placed into each cavity.
3. Sealing: A layer of aluminium foil is heat-sealed to the preformed PVC blister pack. All cavities are securely covered and sealed.
4. Perforation and cutting: This step is the same as the one during the ALU-ALU packaging process.

3. Advantage:

• ALU-PVC blister packs are made of plastic based materials. This results in lower production costs, making it a more cost-effective option for pharmaceutical packaging.
• It allows for easy visibility of medications inside the blister cavities. This enables end consumers to check the product integrity and verify the dosage before consumption.
• Packaging is more flexible and versatile in customization. The PVC blister cavities can be easily molded to accommodate different product shapes and sizes.

4. Disadvantage:

• While Alu-PVC packaging provides reasonable protection, it may not offer the same barrier performance level as Alu-Alu packaging.
• The plastic material makes Alu-PVC blister cavities more susceptible to impact damage during handling, transportation, or storage.
• PVC material has poor thermal stability. It's crucial to carefully control the temperature during the blister formation and heat-sealing stages.
• The transparency of the PVC material is a two-edged sword. While it allows for excellent product visibility, it may not be suitable for light-sensitive medications.
• PVC is not readily biodegradable. Improper disposal of PVC blister packs can cause environmental concerns.

Summary

Table 1. Material Comparison between ALU-ALU and ALU-PVC