Formulations
Encyclopedia
Formulation is a term used in various senses in various applications, both the material
and the abstract
or formal. Its fundamental meaning is the putting together of components in appropriate relationships or structures, according to a formula
. It might help to reflect that etymologically Formula is the diminutive
of the Latin
Forma, meaning shape.
In that sense a formulation is created according to the standard for the product.
, Linguistics
, Legal theory
, and Computer science
. For details, see the related articles.
, chemistry
, and biology
. It also is ubiquitous in industry
, engineering
and medicine
, especially pharmaceutics
.
Pharmacy
In pharmacy a Formulation is a mixture
or a structure
such as a capsule, a pill
, tablet
, or an emulsion
, prepared according to a specific procedure (called a “formula”). Competently designed formulations for particular applications are safer, more effective, and more economical than any of their components used singly.
s, cosmetics
, coating
s, dyes
, alloys
, cleaning agent
s, food
s, lubricants
, fuels
, fertilisers, pesticides
and many others.
Some components impart specific properties
to the formulation when it is put into use. For example, certain components (polymers) are used in paint formulations to achieve deforming or levelling properties. Some components of a formulation may only be active in particular applications.
A formulation may be created for any of the following purposes:
Material
Material is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to...
and the abstract
Abstract object
An abstract object is an object which does not exist at any particular time or place, but rather exists as a type of thing . In philosophy, an important distinction is whether an object is considered abstract or concrete. Abstract objects are sometimes called abstracta An abstract object is an...
or formal. Its fundamental meaning is the putting together of components in appropriate relationships or structures, according to a formula
Formula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
. It might help to reflect that etymologically Formula is the diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Forma, meaning shape.
In that sense a formulation is created according to the standard for the product.
Abstract applications
Disciplines in which one might use the word formulation in the abstract sense include Logic, MathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, Legal theory
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and Computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. For details, see the related articles.
Material Applications
In more material senses the concept of formulation appears in the physical sciences, such as physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. It also is ubiquitous in industry
Industrial technology
Industrial technology is the field concerned with the application of basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of industrial engineers and managers...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, especially pharmaceutics
Pharmaceutical formulation
Pharmaceutical formulation, in pharmaceutics, is the process in which different chemical substances, including the active drug, are combined to produce a final medicinal product.-Stages and timeline:...
.
PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
In pharmacy a Formulation is a mixtureMixture
In chemistry, a mixture is a material system made up by two or more different substances which are mixed together but are not combined chemically...
or a structure
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...
such as a capsule, a pill
Pill (pharmacy)
A pill is a small, round, solid pharmaceutical oral dosage form that was in use before the advent of tablets and capsules. Pills were made by mixing the active ingredients with an excipient such as glucose syrup in a mortar and pestle to form a paste, then rolling the mass into a long cylindrical...
, tablet
Tablet
A tablet is a pharmaceutical dosage form. It comprises a mixture of active substances and excipients, usually in powder form, pressed or compacted from a powder into a solid dose...
, or an emulsion
Emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible . Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion is used when both the dispersed and the...
, prepared according to a specific procedure (called a “formula”). Competently designed formulations for particular applications are safer, more effective, and more economical than any of their components used singly.
Other examples of product formulations
Formulations are commercially produced for drugDrug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s, cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, coating
Coating
Coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. In many cases coatings are applied to improve surface properties of the substrate, such as appearance, adhesion, wetability, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and scratch resistance...
s, dyes
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
, alloys
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, cleaning agent
Cleaning agent
Cleaning agents are substances, usually liquids, that are used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, absence of offensive odor, avoidance of shame, and avoidance of spreading of dirt and contaminants to...
s, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
s, lubricants
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
, fuels
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
, fertilisers, pesticides
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
and many others.
Components
Components (also called ingredients), when mixed together according to a formula, create a formulation.Some components impart specific properties
Specific properties
Specific properties of a substance are derived from other intrinsic and extrinsic properties of that substance. For example, the density of steel can be derived from measurements of the mass of a steel bar divided by the volume of the bar...
to the formulation when it is put into use. For example, certain components (polymers) are used in paint formulations to achieve deforming or levelling properties. Some components of a formulation may only be active in particular applications.
A formulation may be created for any of the following purposes:
- to achieve effects that cannot be obtained from its components when these are used singly
- to achieve a higher degree of effectiveness
- to facilitate any potential synergisticSynergySynergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
action of their components - to improve handling properties and often safety for the user
See also
- Formulation scienceFormulation scienceFormulation science is an interdisciplinary subject where knowledge of material science, and physical chemistry, joins with the art of formulating a formulations that can have hyper activity towards a particular action...
- IngredientIngredientAn ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture . For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain a secret ingredient that is purported to make them better than competing products...
- Pesticide formulationPesticide formulationThe biological activity of a pesticide, be it chemical or biological in nature, is determined by its active ingredient . Pesticide products very rarely consist of pure technical material. The AI is usually formulated with other materials and this is the product as sold, but it may be further...
- Pharmaceutical formulationPharmaceutical formulationPharmaceutical formulation, in pharmaceutics, is the process in which different chemical substances, including the active drug, are combined to produce a final medicinal product.-Stages and timeline:...
- Galenic formulationGalenic formulationGalenic formulation deals with the principles of preparing and compounding medicines in order to optimize their absorption. Galenic formulation is named after Claudius Galen, a 2nd Century AD Greek physician, who codified the preparation of drugs using multiple ingredients...
- Physical ChemistryPhysical chemistryPhysical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...