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Finishing Standards for Pharmaceutical Vessels

Looking for standards regarding finishing of pharmaceutical grade tanks. Is there anything out there that states tanks must or should be electropolished versus mechanically polished for tanks that are used in the manufacture of drug products?

John Tien
pharmaceutical company - Berkeley, California
2005

Such tanks should be electropolished whether the specs require it or not, John. Any mechanically polished surface resembles a plowed field, with metal folded over and contaminants furrowed under. Those tiny metal shards need to be dissolved away, not smushed around. The Electroplating Engineering Handbook [on AbeBooks or eBay or Amazon] explains and illustrates it well. Good luck with it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

I am in charge of process equipment in the vaccine production.

We usually specified for our process tanks / pipe a surface roughness of Ra <0.6 µm electropolished.

There is an internal discussion to challenge the efficacy of electropolishing. Is there any studies that shows the efficacy of electropolishing regarding bacterial growth, cleanability?

FORAZ Bruno
- LYONS, Rhône, FRANCE
2005

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