Patent ID: 6858725

Claim:
A method for preparing porous microcrystalline cellulose granules comprising the following steps: (a) granulating microcrystalline cellulose with a granulating fluid comprising water and a water-miscible, volatile, polar organic solvent to provide a granulated microcrystalline cellulose; (b) drying the granulated microcrystalline cellulose at a controlled rate with no heat input at ambient temperature for a time sufficient to remove at least substantially all of the polar organic solvent from the granulated microcrystalline cellulose without removing at least a substantial portion of the water from the granulated microcrystalline cellulose, and without extruding or spheronizing the granulated microcrystalline cellulose from granulation step (a); and (c) subsequent to step (b), removing at least a substantial portion of the water from the granulated microcrystalline cellulose.