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US 2026/0216672 A1Published application
Curing device for curing capsules
AssigneeMicrocaps AG
InventorsEnea BAUMANN, Christian BURKARD, David SCHAFFNER
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a curing device (1) for generating and curing capsules, which comprises a tubular column (2), a bottom portion (5), a head portion (8) and a radial stirring device (10) being arranged inside the tubular column (2) and inside a stirring zone (4) of the tubular column (2). Furthermore, a capsule production unit and a method for generating and curing capsules is disclosed.
Claims24
A curing device for generating and curing capsules the curing device comprising:
- a. a tubular column having a longitudinal axis, which extends along an axial direction of the tubular column, wherein the tubular column defines along the longitudinal axis a pre-curing zone and an adjacent stirring zone;
- b. a bottom portion comprising a first fluid inlet unit for introducing a dispersed phase into the tubular column and a second fluid inlet unit for introducing a continuous phase into the tubular column, wherein the pre-curing zone extends between the bottom portion and the stirring zone;
- c. a head portion comprising a fluid outlet for removing the generated and cured capsules from the curing device;
- d. a radial stirring device being arranged inside the tubular column-(and inside the stirring zone of the tubular column, wherein the radial stirring device is configured to provide a radial mixing of the dispersed phase and the continuous phase within the tubular column, wherein the radial stirring device extends along the longitudinal axis from the head portion only into the stirring zone.
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A method for generating and curing capsules, the method comprising the steps:
- a. providing a dispersion of droplets comprising a molten matrix material in a first continuous phase;
- b. introducing the dispersion into a pre-curing zone of a tubular column of a curing device;
- c. introducing a second continuous phase into the pre-curing zone of the tubular column 2 wherein the second continuous phase has a temperature below the melting temperature of the matrix material;
- d. delivering the dispersion and the second continuous phase into a stirring zone of the tubular column, wherein a radial stirring device is arranged inside the tubular column and extends along a longitudinal axis of the curing device from a head portion of the curing device only into the stirring zone of the tubular column, wherein the radial stirring device radially mixes the dispersion and the second continuous phase in the stirring zone;
- e. cooling the dispersion of droplets in the tubular column in the pre-curing zone and the stirring zone thereby solidifying the matrix material and generating cured capsules.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.