Lactose spherical particles and process for their production

摘要

To provide spherical particles made substantially from lactose and having high surface smoothness with low abrasiveness, and a process for their production. A process for producing spherical particles containing at least 95 wt% lactose, characterized by comprising a step of producing lactose spherical particles by charging crystalline lactose and/or lactose granules onto a rotary disk in the treatment vessel of a centrifugal tumbling apparatus, dispersing powdered lactose to the lactose granules and/or crystalline lactose as the rotary disk is rotated while providing slit air into the vessel, while also spraying water, an aqueous lactose solution or a dilute aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer, and a fixation treatment step of drying the obtained spherical particles in a fluidized bed apparatus while spraying an aqueous lactose solution and/or a dilute solution of a water-soluble polymer.