Opadry Film Coating of Tablets
Colorcon Opadry® brings the key components of a film coating together in a pre-formulated dry concentrate. Compare systems for finish, process efficiency, swallowability and TiO2-free requirements to find the right fit for your tablet.
Opadry® Complete Film Coating System
Opadry® is Colorcon’s original one-step tablet film coating system. It combines polymers, plasticizers and pigment in a single dry concentrate, simplifying preparation compared with managing the individual coating components separately.
Once prepared, Opadry forms the film applied to the tablet during the coating process. It gives manufacturers a complete starting point for producing consistent film coated tablets while allowing the coating formulation to be selected around the finished product requirement.
Related Manufacturing Solutions
Start With What the Coating Needs to Do
Film coating isn’t only about giving a tablet a smooth finish. Depending on the product, the coating can support identification and appearance, improve swallowability, mask unpleasant tastes or odours, and help protect the tablet from environmental factors.
Why Use a Complete Coating System?
- Polymer, plasticizer and pigment can be supplied together in one formulated system.
- Fewer individual coating components need to be managed during preparation.
- Different Opadry systems address different product and processing priorities.
- Colour, opacity and finish can form part of the product design rather than being an afterthought.
What Should You Check Before Choosing?
- What does the coating need to achieve?
- What finish, colour or opacity is required?
- Is swallowability important?
- Is a TiO2-free formulation part of the brief?
- What coating equipment and process conditions will be used?
The Coating Is Only Half the Decision
A good formulation still has to work with the manufacturing process. Spray application, drying, equipment setup and coating parameters all influence the finished result. Film-coating material selection and process control are connected decisions, not separate ones.
Compare Opadry Film Coating Systems
Opadry® TF
TiO2-Free Film Coatings
When titanium dioxide needs to be excluded from the formulation, Opadry TF provides TiO2-free film-coating options using different polymers and opacifiers.
Best fit when:
TiO2-free formulation is a defined part of the product brief.
Opadry® EZ
Easy-Swallow Film Coating
Opadry EZ is designed around swallowability. Once wet, the coating improves tablet mobility, helping reduce the probability of the tablet sticking in the throat or oesophagus.
Best fit when:
Tablet size, swallowability or consumer experience is an important consideration.
Quick + Flexible Film Coating
Opadry® QX
Opadry QX is designed for processing speed and flexibility. Colorcon states that it can be ready to use in 25 minutes and can reduce coating and preparation time by up to 40%, while working across different coating-equipment types.
Best fit when:
Process efficiency, equipment flexibility or faster coating cycles matter.
High-Performance Film Coating System
Opadry® II
Opadry II retains the convenience of the original Opadry system while offering shorter processing time and a smoother film finish.
Best fit when:
You want a higher-performance complete film coating with improved processing and finish.
Choosing the Right Opadry System
What is Opadry?
Opadry is Colorcon’s complete film-coating family. The original Opadry system combines polymer, plasticizer and pigment in a pre-formulated dry concentrate that is prepared before application to tablets.
What does “Opadry White” mean?
White is used across different Opadry formulations, so “Opadry White” alone isn’t enough to identify every coating requirement. The Opadry system, formulation and required finish still need to be established.
What is the difference between Opadry and Opadry II?
Original Opadry is the core complete film-coating system. Opadry II follows the same convenient complete-system approach but is designed for shorter processing time and a smoother finish.
Which Opadry system is right for my tablet?
Start with the outcome rather than the product name. Finish, colour and opacity matter, but so can swallowability, TiO2 requirements, processing speed, coating equipment and the formulation itself. That gives PACCO a much better basis for discussing the application than simply asking for “white Opadry”.
Find the Right Opadry System
Different tablets place different demands on a film coating. Tell PACCO what you’re coating, what the finished product needs to achieve and any formulation or processing constraints you’re already working with.