Low-friction Silane-based Coating on Pharmaceutical Glass Vials: Development of Alternative Solutions to Standard Industrial Process

This PhD research, carried on in collaboration with Bormioli Pharma S.p.A., addresses the development of a sustainable lubricant coating for pharmaceutical glass vials, as a replacement for the current hot-end coating process, whose application involves toxic byproducts. Organosilane-based solutions were investigated to assess their environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness. In particular, an aqueous aminosilane was tested as an adhesion promoter for lubricant anchoring, together with an alternative single-component organosilane solution. Initial tests involved dip deposition, followed by spray application to assess scalability. Analytical characterizations confirmed that the aminosilane-primer effectively enables lubricant adhesion, protects the vial surface and allows scalable spray application. Mechanical tests, consisting in tribological and scratch resistance analyses, indicated effective lubrication, especially with the spray primer-lubricant mixture. The single-component solution also showed protective potential, although further investigation is needed. Overall, the silane primer approach offers significant sustainability and cost effectiveness, facilitating the transition to a single-step coating process. Future studies will aim to optimize primer-lubricant interactions and refine mechanical testing to better simulate rubbing on the production and filling lines.