Pelletization Equipment MCQs With Answer

Introduction: This quiz collection on Pelletization Equipment MCQs With Answer is designed for M.Pharm students studying MIP 203T – Pharmaceutical Production Technology. It focuses on equipment used in pellet manufacturing, including pan/disk pelletizers, drum pelletizers, extrusion-spheronization units, fluid-bed coaters/granulators, high-shear pelletizers, and marumerizers. Questions probe machine design, operating principles, critical process parameters (e.g., spray rate, impeller speed, bed temperature), scale-up considerations, and troubleshooting common issues like capping, agglomeration, and uneven size distribution. Use these MCQs for exam preparation and practical understanding of how equipment choice and settings affect pellet quality, yield, and downstream processing.

Q1. Which pelletization equipment is primarily characterized by a rotating shallow conical pan where bed material is tumbled and liquid binder is sprayed to form pellets?

• Fluid-bed granulator
• Rotating pan (disc) pelletizer
• Extrusion-spheronizer
• Drum granulator

Correct Answer: Rotating pan (disc) pelletizer

Q2. In extrusion-spheronization, which processing step immediately follows wet extrusion to produce near-spherical pellets?

• Dry milling
• Spheronization (frictional rounding in a spheronizer)
• Fluid-bed drying
• Coating in a pan coater

Correct Answer: Spheronization (frictional rounding in a spheronizer)

Q3. Which of the following parameters is most critical in a fluid-bed pelletizer to control pellet size and growth during layering?

• Binder viscosity only
• Spray atomization (nozzle type and droplet size)
• Residence time in the coating pan
• Die dimension of the extruder

Correct Answer: Spray atomization (nozzle type and droplet size)

Q4. A marumerizer is best described as which type of pelletization equipment?

• A high-shear mixer with chopper
• A rotating cylindrical drum with internal baffles for polishing and size reduction
• An extrusion die assembly for hot-melt pelletizing
• A pan coater with bottom spray

Correct Answer: A rotating cylindrical drum with internal baffles for polishing and size reduction

Q5. Which equipment is most suitable for producing pellets from highly plastic wet mass that requires shaping before rounding?

• Fluid-bed granulator
• Rotating pan pelletizer
• Extruder followed by spheronizer
• V-blender with spray nozzle

Correct Answer: Extruder followed by spheronizer

Q6. In a drum pelletizer, what operational change would most likely reduce excessive agglomeration of pellets?

• Increasing binder spray rate
• Decreasing drum fill level and reducing spray rate
• Raising drum rotational speed significantly
• Removing air drying and relying on ambient drying

Correct Answer: Decreasing drum fill level and reducing spray rate

Q7. Which of these is a primary advantage of fluid-bed pellet coating compared with traditional pan coating for pellets?

• Lower uniformity of coating
• Better control of coating thickness and faster solvent removal
• Requires higher residence time and produces more lumps
• Cannot be used for aqueous coatings

Correct Answer: Better control of coating thickness and faster solvent removal

Q8. For spheronization, which tray or disc parameter most directly affects pellet roundness and surface finish?

• Spheronizer friction plate (paddle) speed and geometry
• Binder pH
• Extruder feed screw pitch
• Fluid-bed inlet air humidity

Correct Answer: Spheronizer friction plate (paddle) speed and geometry

Q9. Which nozzle type is commonly preferred in spray systems for pellet layering to minimize spray-induced attrition and produce uniform droplets?

• Simple open-ended tubing
• Pressure-swirl (hollow-cone) nozzle
• Large-orifice flood nozzle
• Piezoelectric ultrasonic nebulizer

Correct Answer: Pressure-swirl (hollow-cone) nozzle

Q10. When scaling up a pan pelletizer from lab to production, which geometric or operational factor must be preserved to maintain similar pellet growth behavior?

• Absolute pan diameter only
• Dimensionless numbers such as Froude number and similar pan fill fraction
• Identical RPM regardless of pan size
• Same batch mass irrespective of pan geometry

Correct Answer: Dimensionless numbers such as Froude number and similar pan fill fraction

Q11. In high-shear pelletizers used for pellet layering, what is the main role of the impeller design?

• Only to heat the mass
• To provide shear for wetting, promote pellet formation, and control agglomerate size
• To separate fines from granules by screening
• To coat pellets with enteric polymers

Correct Answer: To provide shear for wetting, promote pellet formation, and control agglomerate size

Q12. Which instrument is most appropriate to monitor and control moisture content during fluid-bed drying of pellets online?

• Rotary viscometer
• Near-infrared (NIR) moisture sensor
• pH meter
• Optical microscope

Correct Answer: Near-infrared (NIR) moisture sensor

Q13. Which failure mode in a pelletizer typically results from excessive spray rate, low air temperature, or insufficient drying leading to soft sticky agglomerates?

• Capping
• Pitting
• Fused agglomeration (sticking)
• Over-drying (brittle pellets)

Correct Answer: Fused agglomeration (sticking)

Q14. What is the principal advantage of a gearless drive in large industrial pan or drum pelletizers?

• Higher maintenance due to complex gears
• Reduced vibration, smoother torque transmission, and lower maintenance
• Incompatibility with variable speed control
• Increased noise and energy consumption

Correct Answer: Reduced vibration, smoother torque transmission, and lower maintenance

Q15. Which pelletization equipment is most commonly used when drug layering onto nonpareil seeds is required with tight control over particle size distribution?

• Hot-melt extruder only
• Fluid-bed rotor/pan coater with Wurster insert or bottom spray
• Spherical granulator without atomization
• Double cone blender

Correct Answer: Fluid-bed rotor/pan coater with Wurster insert or bottom spray

Q16. In a bottom-spray fluid-bed pellet coater, what is the effect of increasing inlet air temperature while keeping spray rate constant?

• Longer drying times and larger pellets
• Faster solvent evaporation, potentially more brittle pellets and risk of spray drying
• No change in pellet properties
• Only increases binder viscosity

Correct Answer: Faster solvent evaporation, potentially more brittle pellets and risk of spray drying

Q17. Which material of construction is preferred for pelletization equipment in contact with aqueous and organic solvents and why?

• Uncoated carbon steel because it is cheapest
• 316L stainless steel due to corrosion resistance and cleanability
• Aluminum because it is lightweight
• Untreated copper for antimicrobial properties

Correct Answer: 316L stainless steel due to corrosion resistance and cleanability

Q18. Which measurement best quantifies the mechanical strength of discrete pellets produced by pelletization equipment?

• Tablet disintegration time
• Friability percentage or crushing strength of individual pellets
• Bulk density only
• Viscosity of the binder solution

Correct Answer: Friability percentage or crushing strength of individual pellets

Q19. During extrusion-spheronization, which excipient is most often used to impart plasticity and bind the extrudable mass?

• Lactose anhydrous as a sole plasticizer
• MCC (microcrystalline cellulose) as a pelletization aid for plasticity
• Magnesium stearate in high concentration
• Talc to increase flow

Correct Answer: MCC (microcrystalline cellulose) as a pelletization aid for plasticity

Q20. Which process analytical technology (PAT) tool is particularly useful to monitor pellet size distribution in real time during a continuous pelletization process?

• Off-line HPLC
• Laser diffraction particle size analyzer with in-line probe
• Conventional IR thermometer
• UV spectrophotometer sampling once per hour

Correct Answer: Laser diffraction particle size analyzer with in-line probe

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