Microencapsulation

Name:
Microencapsulation
Detailed information:
Enclosure of a material in hollow spheres or capsules (microspheres) in the micron size range (20–150µ), they can be made of glass, silica, various high polymers or proteins (gelatin, albumen). The silica type can be incorporated in plastics, elastomers, and metals for weight-saving purposes; they can also be bonded to one another to give extremely thin sheets of silica. Microspheres coated with layers of “Teflon” and beryllium are used to contain the deuterium and tritium used in laser fusion experimentation.Polymeric or proteinaceous microspheres are used to introduce drugs to specific locations in the body. The coating material acts as a semipermeable membrane, permitting slow release and high concentration of a drug at the desired site. Enzymes, hormones, and other biochemical substances can be temporarily immobilized by this technique.