Microcapsules:few facts

Microcapsules are small particles or beads ranging in size from <1micron to several millimetres
and which contain a wide variety of active ingredients
There are three main types of microcapsule –
Aggregate or matrix (one substance uniformly distributed),
Mononuclear (a shell-core morphology) and
Polynuclear (more than one core enclosed within the shell)
Hydrocapsules belong to this second category and are spherical droplets consisting of an inner
core (encapsulate) and an outer (capsule) layer designed to encapsulate a solution inside a
hardened outer shell
Microcapsules also include encapsulation technologies where cells are enclosed in a capsule
which is then delivered to a target organ

Microcapsules are widely used by the chemical, cosmetic and food industries. Hence, there are
many patents covering their use as fragrance or ingredient packages

Leading Companies:
Analytical Research
Systems (ARS)
Biotek
BRACE GmbH
Lipo Technologies
Medipol SA
Nanocyte
Ronald T Dodge
Company

Case Study : ARS’ Hydrocapsules
Developed by Analytical Research Systems as a method for feeding beneficial insects and first used in a commercial application in 2000. The inner core was originally designed to hold aqueous solutions but has
applications across many different areas (nutrients, vitamins, drugs, vaccines, live organisms, viruses, tissues, cells, bacteria or fungi.)In 2007 the company also began delivering entomopathogens (pathogens causing disease in insects) and semiochemicals (chemical signalling) Two mixtures are co-extruded from concentric nozzles under force – producing a bi-liquid stream containing two immiscible liquids. The outer shell hardens and forms a sphere encapsulating the solution inside. The shell can also be designed to respond in different ways to its external environment: Controlled release – gradual/rapid rupture of the shell or triggered release – by responding to changes in pH. The inner encapsulate must have an aqueous content of between 10- 100%. Capsule sizes are typically between 100microns to 2cm “Several major players have showed interest in the past 10 months”
Ara Manukian, CEO, ARS, January 2008.