Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is a water-soluble polymer synthesized by polymerizing the monomer N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP). Its chemical structure contains a pyrrolidone ring, which imparts excellent water solubility, film-forming ability, adhesion, and biocompatibility.
The “K25″ in PVP K25 denotes its molecular weight grade, where the “K value” is a key indicator of PVP’s molecular weight. A higher K value corresponds to a higher molecular weight and viscosity. K25 falls into the medium-low molecular weight range, exhibiting outstanding solubility in solvents such as water, ethanol, and acetone.
Main Applications of PVP K25
Due to its balanced molecular weight, adhesive properties, and solubility, PVP K25 is widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industrial fields:
Pharmaceutical Field
Tablet Binder: Dissolved in water or ethanol, it helps drug powders bond into granules, improving tablet hardness and disintegration.
Solubilizer and Dispersant: Enhances the solubility of poorly soluble drugs by forming complexes, thereby increasing bioavailability.
Film Former: Used in controlled-release formulations or transdermal patches to regulate drug release.
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Skincare and Haircare: Acts as a thickener, stabilizer, or film former, improving product texture and ensuring even distribution of active ingredients.
Styling Products (e.g., hair gels, mascaras): Provides strong hold with easy removal due to its film-forming and water-soluble properties.
Industrial Applications
Coatings and Inks: Serves as a dispersant and thickener, stabilizing pigments and enhancing coating adhesion.
Textile Industry: Used for fabric treatment to improve flexibility and antistatic performance.
Electronic Materials: Functions as a binder or dispersant in battery or component manufacturing, ensuring uniform electrode coating.
The bonding performance of PVP K25 is excellent
As a classic pharmaceutical adhesive, the core advantage of PVP K25 lies in the “balance” between its adhesive force and solution viscosity:
High adhesion, ensuring tablet integrity: It can effectively bond drug powders and excipients (such as fillers, disintegrants), forming structurally stable particles. The hardness of the pressed tablets meets the standard and they are not prone to brittleness, reducing problems such as cracked and loose tablets during the production process. It is especially suitable for tablets with requirements for adhesion strength (such as high-dose drug tablets and tablets of difficult-to-form powders).
Low solution viscosity, easy to dissolve and handle Compared with higher models of PVP (such as PVP K30, PVP K90), K25 has a lower molecular weight. Its aqueous solution or organic solution (such as ethanol) has a lower viscosity, dissolves faster, and is less likely to form “lumps” during granulation, facilitating uniform mixing. At the same time, it reduces the operational difficulty of equipment (such as granulators, tablet presses) and enhances production efficiency.
How safe is PVP K25
PVP K25 is a pharmaceutical excipient with fully verified safety, meeting the pharmacopoeia standards of many countries around the world. Toxicological data support its low toxicity, non-accumulation, and non-irritation. Its metabolic behavior in the body is clear and non-interfering. Combined with decades of clinical application experience, it can be considered that at conventional pharmaceutical doses, its safety is extremely high, making it a reliable excipient choice in the pharmaceutical field.
It should be noted that the safety of excipients needs to be comprehensively evaluated in combination with the overall formula of the specific preparation (such as other excipients, active ingredients of the drug). The safety of a single excipient does not represent the overall safety of the preparation. Ultimately, the use should follow the instructions on the drug label.
In all, PVP K25 is a medium-low molecular weight polymer with versatile adhesive and film-forming properties. It plays a critical role in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industrial applications, particularly as a binder, solubilizer, and dispersant in formulation processes, making it an essential auxiliary material in consumer and industrial products.
Post time: Aug-27-2025