Nanoencapsulation and Microencapsulation are the incorporation of at least one ingredient (active agent) inside at least one other (shell material) to make nanospheres or microspheres such as TiO2 or possibly omega 3's encapsulation. The active ingredient to be incorporated into a nanoencapsulate or 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 nanoencapsulate or microencapsulate. A common classification into two basic methods can be made:
 

• Matrix Nano or Microencapsulation
• Core Shell Nano or Microencapsulation

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

 

Our processes for nanoencapsulation and microencapsulation are used to encapsulate 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 nanoencapsulation or microencapsulation is used if the active agent is distributed homogeneously throughout the microencapsulate. A Nanosphere or 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 Nanospheres or 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 functional active encapsulation from the nanoencapsulate or 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 Nano or Microsphere, Nano or Microcapsule or Nano 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 nanocapsules or microscapsules where the controlled release of the active is over multiple years of time.  We use either a special microencapsulating vibrational drip casting process or shockwave process for the production of nano or microcapsules which produces true core shell nano or 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 nano or microspheres and nano or 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 nanoencapsulation or microencapsulation technologies and equipment.