Particle Engineering Techniques – an introduction
Particle Engineering Techniques play a crucial role in industries such as food, feed, and pharmaceuticals. It provides the ability to control particle size, distribution, and surface properties, which in turn enhances product performance. By applying these techniques, manufacturers can address production challenges and improve the quality of the final product. In this article, we will focus on key methods, including fluid bed agglomeration, encapsulation, and blending. These methods are critical for enhancing product consistency and performance.
Fluid Bed Agglomeration
Granulation is essential for improving the flowability, compressibility, and stability of mixtures. Fluid bed granulation is a wet process that adds liquid to base particles, causing them to form granules. High-velocity cyclonic airflow suspends the material in a fluidized bed, allowing the liquid to be sprayed onto the particles. As a result, the particles stick together and form larger granules.
Once granulation is complete, the wet granules are dried using hot air. As the granules grow in size, they may shrink due to attrition when particles collide with each other. This can create several challenges, such as uneven particle sizes, material loss, and excessive dust. Therefore, it’s crucial to manage attrition carefully during the granulation process.
Encapsulation via Spray-Drying
Spray-drying is another effective method for encapsulation. To begin, the material to be encapsulated is mixed with an amphipathic protein, such as a starch derivative. This mixture forms a suspension that is then fed into a spray-dryer. Once inside the heated tower, the slurry atomizes, which increases the surface area. Consequently, this allows the water to evaporate quickly, forming a hardened shell around the material.
Thus, the spray-drying process effectively encapsulates materials, protecting them from environmental factors and enhancing their stability.
Blending and Spray-Drying
Spray-drying is also used in the blending of materials, such as in infant formula production. Ingredients like minerals, lactose, vegetable oil, skimmed milk, and whey protein are blended, homogenized, and pasteurized. Afterward, the mixture is spray-dried, ensuring uniform nutrient distribution. This process guarantees consistent product quality and maintains homogeneity throughout the batch.
Recap of Particle Engineering Techniques
Earlier this year, we published our first article on particle engineering, we highlighted its importance in industries like food, feed, and pharmaceuticals. Particle engineering has become the “golden goose” of the industry due to its ability to create customized particles. However, designing complex structured granules remains challenging due to the precise adjustments needed during the formulation process.
In this article, we discussed the essential techniques of fluid bed agglomeration, encapsulation, and blending. These methods are vital for improving particle functionality and quality, leading to consistent and high-performing products.
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