The pharmaceutical industry is a crucial sector that impacts people's physical and mental health, encompassing multiple fields such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical equipment, and hygienic materials, and holds a significant position in the national economy. Titanium, due to its non-toxic and harmless nature, as well as its excellent compatibility with the human body, is widely utilized in the pharmaceutical industry.

In pharmaceutical production, as the production of drugs cannot be separated from acids, alkalis, and salts, pharmaceutical equipment is easily corroded and damaged. Using steel equipment not only fails to solve the serious problem of equipment corrosion, but also results in significant losses of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, affecting normal production. The use of titanium equipment effectively solves this problem.

In the production of several major commonly used drugs, equipment made of titanium exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and yields considerable economic benefits.

1. Production of vitamin B1

In China, vitamin B1 is predominantly produced using the hydrogen chloride conversion method, with the finished product undergoing cyclone drying and two rounds of cyclone separation. The medium used is thiamine hydrochloride, with a pH value of 2.5 and a temperature of 110°C, exhibiting strong corrosivity. The original drying device, constructed from stainless steel, experienced corrosion and perforation of its inner wall within just over a year of use, leading to severe contamination of the drug.

After adopting titanium spiral feeders, cyclone separators, vortex bodies, hoppers, discharge pipes, and titanium lining for the tail gas box, the production pass rate of vitamin B1 has increased from a maximum of 95% to 100%. Furthermore, the equipment has been in use for over 7 years without any corrosion, and the cost of using titanium can be recovered in just 3 months.

2. Vitamin C production

Vitamin C is produced from sorbitol as the raw material. It is first fermented into sorbose by Acetobacter suboxydans, then fermented into low-concentration gulonic acid by Pseudomonas pseudomonas, and finally converted into the finished product through hydrogen chloride conversion after concentration.

Titanium is highly corrosion-resistant in high-temperature gulonic acid. In the production process of this product, titanium-made tubular heat exchangers, titanium-made DHC-500 butterfly plate sedimentation automatic slag discharge centrifuges, and TC4 cast impellers have been used for many years without any corrosion observed.

3. Antibiotic production

The main raw material for the chemical synthesis of chloramphenicol (an antibiotic) is methyl dichloroacetate, which contains about 2% chloroethylene and trichloroethylene. If steel equipment is used in the refining process, severe corrosion is prone to occur. However, since switching to titanium equipment, it has remained intact to this day.

4. Anesthetic production

Procaine hydrochloride used in local anesthesia is produced using p-nitrotoluene as the raw material. Throughout the entire production process, which involves the oxidation to produce p-nitrobenzoic acid, washing with acetic acid, and recovery of the mother liquor, strong corrosivity is present. Therefore, the production equipment incorporates a titanium-steel composite plate inner cylinder, titanium bubbling tubes, a glacial acetic acid circulating condenser, and a vapor-liquid separator, effectively addressing the corrosion issue.

5. Production of insect repellents and other pharmaceuticals

Quichuangjing (tetramisole) is a highly effective anthelmintic for intestinal nematodes. In the production of this product, stainless steel equipment was originally used, but corrosion caused product contamination. Switching to titanium for the feed tube and pump inlet tube successfully solved the corrosion problem.

Nitrochlorfen is a specific veterinary drug for treating fasciola hepatica in cattle and sheep, produced using sulfuric acid, nitric acid, glacial acetic acid, and chlorine-containing solutions. A titanium-made chlorination tank agitator has been in normal operation ever since its adoption. Additionally, activated carbon decolorization is commonly used in pharmaceutical production. After replacing the stainless steel suction filter with a titanium one, it has remained intact for nine years.

In the production of brominated amino acids abroad, titanium reactors are employed in the processes of bromination, separation, salting out, extraction, and distillation. In China, the use of titanium equipment is also necessary for the production of antimalarial drugs from quinoline derivatives, anti-schistosomiasis drugs that come into contact with chloride ions, contraceptives, and rheumatism medications. Additionally, other equipment such as penicillin esterification reactors, saccharification tanks, chloramphenicol thin-film evaporators, metamizole reactors, metol filters, dimethyl sulfate coolers, and liquid medicine filters all have the feasibility and necessity of being made of titanium materials.

References:

[1] Shi Yufeng. Application of Titanium Materials in the Pharmaceutical Industry [J]. Titanium Industry Progress, 1994(04):32-33