Microencapsulation is the incorporation of at least one ingredient (active agent) inside at least one other (shell material) to make microspheres such as probiotic encapsulation. The active ingredient to be incorporated into a microencapsulate is usually not suitable to use directly without a shell due to several possible reasons: low solubility, reactivity (too low or high), or instability.  Alternatively, it may be of advantage to optimize the properties of the active agents, e.g. by making it a controlled release microencapsulate. A common classification into two basic methods can be made:
 

• Matrix Microencapsulation
• Core Shell Microencapsulation

We offer microencapsulation solutions for both of these methods. For each active agent individual recipes and processes are normally developed.

 

Our processes for microencapsulation are used to microencapsulate a wide range of materials for industries including:  chemical process, food, and pharmaceutical.

 

These processes produce monomodal, ultraspherical microencapsulates with a very narrow size distribution.

 

The services that we offer include formulation development, contract microencapsulate manufacturing and microencapsulate producing systems starting with the desktop units Spherisator S and Spherisator M up through production scale complete unit operations capable of 10,000 litres per hour per line.
 

Matrix microencapsulation is used if the active agent is distributed homogeneously throughout the microencapsulate. A Microsphere is a spherical particle of this homogeneous mixture.  We provide full formulation development services for our customers which enhance their products due to their ultraspherical form.

These Microspheres are able to release the microencapsulated active agents over a defined time. Controlled release Microspheres are optimized by a suitable choice of the shell material and the chosen particle size. The choice of shell materials suitable for the application can be waxes, hydrocolloids or other organic or inorganic materials. Wax embedded active agents with defined controlled release curves and an enhanced stability of the embedded chemicals are produced for cosmetic or pharmaceutical applications.

In other fields of application, like the food industry, the release profile of the active (e.g. a flavor) is controlled. By our process we produce homogeneous catalysts in a one step reaction so that the catalytic additives are distributed evenly in a carrier with an extremely high BET surface.
 

If the release of the active agent such as in a probiotic encapsulation from the microencapsulate is required to be either immediate or a controlled release over a very long time, a core shell microencapsulation is preferred. A spherical particle with a solid shell is commonly denominated as Microsphere, Microcapsule or Microencapsulate. They are used in applications like chewing gum requiring an extraordinary taste with a controlled release or in the bedding industry for anti-allergic microscapsules where the controlled release of the active is over multiple years of time.  We use a special microencapsulating vibrational drip casting process for the production of microcapsules which produces true core shell microcapsules in a single step with no seams.

The suitable range of potential microencapsulate shell materials is very broad, since most gelling systems can be used.  In general, the most commonly used microencapsulate shell materials are hydrocolloids like alginate, agar-agar, gelatin, but other potential microencapsulating options include gum arabicum, latex, polymethacrylates, polyethersulfones, waxes and many more. During the drip casting process, the microencapsulate core material needs to be liquid as a solution, suspension, or melt which makes hydrophilic (e.g. aqueous solutions) and also hydrophobic agents (e.g. oils) suitable for the microencapsulating process. For even finer release profiles, the microcapsules can be processed after the production by coating, polymerization or cross-linking to adjust the properties to the desired release needs.
 

Our microspheres and microcapsules systems are used in many different applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, nutraceutical, agricultural and food industries. Our microencapsulates are used for anti-allergic bedding (resistent to high temperatures, effective for up to two years), flavor microencapsulation (chewing gum, cookies, preprepared meals, cigarettes), microencapsulated catalysts (air filter, petro-chemical applications), food (yeast, Champagne production, probiotic encapsulation), pharmaceuticals (controlled release, sustained release, painkillers), medical devices (bone cements), cosmetics, nutraceuticals (probiotic bacteria, omega 3, vitamins and minerals) and consumer care microspheres (skin care, shower gel, shampoo) provide a partial application list. We are problem solvers with many years of expertise in the application of our microencapsulation technologies and equipment.