Capsule Size Guide - Everything you need to know about the different sizes of empty capsules

by APSense News Release Admin

You may be wondering what the ideal size capsule to use when encapsulating powders is. You are correct to ask oneself this question before beginning a fresh formulation. It is critical to consider this before beginning to manufacture capsules, since it will save time and money in the long run if done correctly.

Standard size capsules are identified by numerical numbers. They are as follows: 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. These dimensions apply to all forms of gelatin, HPMC, and pullulan. The most of capsule filling technology is designed to work with these standardized sizes.

This guide has been put together to assist you in determining the optimal size for your needs. If you're a German reader: Hier findest Du die beste deutsche Leerkapsel-Größen Anleitung!

Empty Capsule Size
Capsule Size	000	00E	00	0E	0	1	2	3	4	5
Empty Capsule Weight (Gelatin)
Average Weight (mg)	158	143	123	107	99	78	61	48	38	28
Tolerance	±10	±10	±7	±7	±6	±5	±4	±3	±3	±2
Empty Capsule Weight (Vegetarian)
Average Weight (mg)	163	152	136	107	105	79	63	50	40	30
Tolerance	±10	±10	±7	±7	±6	±5	±4	±3	±3	±2
Empty Capsule Volume Capacity (ml)
Capacity	1.37	1.00	0.90	0.78	0.68	0.48	0.36	0.27	0.20	0.13
Empty Capsule Weight Capacity by Formulation Density (mg)
Formulation Density
0.6 g/ml	822	600	540	468	408	288	216	162	120	78
0.8 g/ml	1096	800	720	624	544	384	288	216	160	104
1.0 g/ml	1370	1000	900	780	680	480	360	270	200	130
1.2 g/ml	1644	1200	1080	936	816	576	432	324	240	156
Empty Capsule Overall Closed Length
mm	26.1	25.3	23.4	23.5	21.6	19.4	17.6	15.7	14.3	11.1
Tolerance (mm)	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.3	±0.4
Inches	1.029	0.906	0.921	0.909	0.85	0.764	0.693	0.618	0.563	0.437
Tolerance (inches)	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.012	±0.016
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (cap)
Cap (mm)	12.95	12.95	11.80	11.68	10.85	9.85	8.80	8.00	7.20	6.20
Tolerance (mm)	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.29
Cap (inches)	0.510	0.510	0.464	0.460	0.427	0.388	0.346	0.315	0.283	0.244
Tolerance (inches)	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.012
Empty Capsule Individual Lengths (body)
Body (mm)	22.20	22.20	20.22	20.19	18.35	16.40	15.15	13.45	12.10	9.30
Tolerance (mm)	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.35	±0.29
Body (inches)	0.879	0.879	0.796	0.795	0.722	0.645	0.596	0.529	0.476	0.366
Tolerance (inches)	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.014	±0.012
Empty Capsule External Diameter
Cap (mm)	9.91	8.58	8.56	7.65	7.64	6.96	6.39	5.85	5.33	4.91
Cap (inches)	0.390	0.338	0.337	0.301	0.301	0.274	0.252	0.230	0.210	0.193
Body (mm)	9.55	8.25	8.23	7.36	7.35	6.63	6.12	5.60	5.08	4.68
Body (inches)		0.376	0.322		0.289	0.29
Empty Capsule Quantity Per Case
Capsules per box	50,000	65,000	75,000	90,000	100,000	125,000	175,000	200,000	250,000	350,000

(Source: capslr.com)

Important Factors regarding capsule sizes

Ease of Swallowing

Sizes are sometimes determined just by the physical size of the capsule. For instance, when selecting a capsule for a youngster or an animal who may be unable to swallow bigger capsules.

The reason that size 00 and size 0 capsules are the most widely used in production is because they have enough capacity for a wide range of mixtures while still being easy for people to swallow.

Type of Capsule

First of all keep that in mind: Some capsules, such as Pullulan, are only provided in a limited number of sizes.
The sort of capsule you want to make may influence your decision.

Required dosage

The needed dose is determined by how much of the active ingredient or components is required for the product to function properly. You must determine how much of a dose you want in each capsule, for example, 1000mg of Vitamin C.

This will then be mixed with excipients to aid in the flow of the product through the process. This is referred to as a "mix" once it has been combined.

Each pill must have the right dose of each element in the combination. If there is too much powder for one capsule, you can either try to fit the powder into one capsule or distribute the dose over many capsules.

Volume of the Mix

The volume of your mix will be determined by the bulk density of the particles that comprise it. We offer a bulk density calculator and tutorial to help you calculate the bulk density of your mix.

You must know the bulk density of your mixture in order to calculate how much active component ends up in each capsule. It may necessitate a little adjustment to your mix or the distribution of the dosage over more than one capsule.