Monday 3 June 2013

Importance Of Nano Encapsulation In Many Industries Today

By Michelle Howe


Nano encapsulation is a method used in material coating that is now quite popular in most industries. This process has become significant in food ingredient production where food flavors are the most common as well. Nano encapsulation is used in volatile bioactives for carbonless copy paper, food, adhesives, textiles, phase change materials, and many more.

There have been numerous techniques being developed for micro-encapsulation where pan coating, centrifugal extrusion and spray drying are the most popular. Pan coating is widely used in pharmaceuticals. This is the oldest procedure in creating tiny, coated tablets in which particles are brought down in a pan as the coating of materials is being applied.

Centrifugal extrusion is often performed in liquid properties. In this technique, the liquid substance is going to be surrounded by a wall solution. This method is ideal in making particles that no greater than 2,000 micrometers. Through the Rayleigh instability, liquid jet moves through the air. As it breaks down into tiny pieces, droplets will soon be formed. This process is crucial not only for liquid substances but for slurry cement slurry too.

In spray drying, it will be done through suspending or dissolving active materials into polymer solution. It is great for materials that undergo constant changes as this only has a very short contact period with the dryer. Experts have also found this very economical which is why several industrial laboratories are implementing this.

Encapsulation is not only done using the physical properties of materials. The chemical techniques of encapsulation are believed to yield more particle dispersions that can be best for oil-in water emulsions and core-shell capsules. These can be performed through interfacial polycondensation, interfacial cross-linking, in situ polymerization and matrix polymerization.

In the interfacial polycondensation process, two reactants of condensation polymers meet to react rapidly in the interface. This technique comes from the Schotten-Baumann reaction, a method of harmonizing amides and amines. A base through neutralized acids forms during the reaction.

In interfacial cross linking, toxic diamines are eliminated in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. In the process, tiny bifunctional monomers with active hydrogen composed atoms will be dismissed through biosourced polymers like protein. During reaction, acid chloride reacts with different functional groups that will lead to membrane creation. This is said versatile just like the properties found in most micro capsules.

In-situ polymerization, cellulose fibers will be encapsulated through polyethylene as they are plunged in dry tulene. Coating thickness using this process is expected to be at least 0.2 micrometer. This creates a uniform coat even in sharp projections. The protein present in the chemical reaction serves as the membrane of the coated material which can be far more resistant than those that are obtained through interfacial polycondensation.

Lastly, matrix polymerization for nano encapsulation is patterned from the technique used in spray drying. Particles in this method will be created through letting solvents that are derived from matrix materials evaporate. In some cases, however, solidification of matrix could be caused by its distinctive changes.




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