2 C. Manoharan etal classified as coarse or colloidal dispersion, depending on the size of particles. Typically, the suspensions with particle size greater than ~1 um are classified as coarse suspension, while those below | jim are classified as colloidal suspension. When the particles constituting the internal phase of the suspension are therapeutically active, the suspension is known as pharmaceutical suspension. Depending on their intended route of delivery, pharmaceutical suspensions can be broadly classified as parenteral suspen- sion, topical suspensions, and oral suspensions (Martin et al. 1983), The following can be the reasons for the formulation of a pharmaceutical suspension: = The drug is insoluble in the delivery vehicle. — To mask the bitter taste of the drug. ~ To increase drug stability. — To achieve controlled/sustained drug release. Physical characteristics of a suspension depend on their intended route of delivery. Oral suspensions generally have high viscosity and may contain high amounts of dispersed solid. A parenteral suspension on the other hand usually has low viscosity and contains less than 5% solids. Ideally, the internal phase should be dispersed uniformly within the dispersion medium and should not sediment during storage. This, however, is practically not possible because of the thermodynamic instability of the suspension. Particles in the suspension possess a surface free energy that makes the system unstable leading to particle settling. The free energy of the system depends an the total surface area and the interfacial tension between the liquid medium and the solid particles. Thus, in order to minimize the free energy, the system tends to decrease the surface area, which is achieved by formation of agglomerates. This may lead ta flocculation or aggregation, depending on the attractive and repulsive forces within the system. In a flocculated suspension, the particles are loosely connected with each other to form floccules. The particles are connected by physical adsorption of macromolecules or by long-range van der Waals forces of attraction. A flocculated suspension settles rapidly, but can be easily redispersed upon gentle agitation, This property is highly desirable in a pharmaceutical suspension to ensure uniform dasing. A deflocc)ilated suspension on the other hand stays dispersed for a longer time, however, when the sedimentation occurs; it leads to formation of a close-packed arrangement resulting in caking. Subsequent redispersion of this type of emulsion is difficult as the energy barrier is much higher compared with a flocculated suspension, ‘Th summary, a flocculated suspension sediments faster and is easy to redisperse, whereas a deflocculated suspension sediments slowly and is difficult to redisperse. ‘The rate of sedimentation of particles can be determined by Stokes" law: fines awPSUS) Tea RSD) G, Michael Wall ila) Pharmaceutical SIE TSE ROMAIN EON g to Manufacturing ca) Springer