Processing nano- and microcapsules for industrial applications

Abstract

Active compounds may be encapsulated using chemical, physicochemical, or mechanical methods, among others. The selection of the encapsulation procedure will depend on average particle size, the physical properties of the encapsulating agent, the substance to be encapsulated, how the encapsulated material is to be applied, the desired release mechanism, and the costs involved. In addition, the encapsulation technique employed must be fast and versatile. There is thus no specific procedure for a given encapsulation material or active principle, and an appropriate method may be selected from a pool of several options. In this chapter, current methods for the development of encapsulants, principally at the nano- and micro-scale, are reviewed and analyzed.