Hydrocapsules and method of preparation thereof
AssigneeAnalytical Research Systems, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Toreki, Ara Manukian, Rudolph Strohschein
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Abstract
A method is described for the formation of microcapsules which contain a liquid composition in the core, which is surrounded by a polymeric shell, membrane, or coating. The microcapsules are produced by simultaneously extruding the liquid core material along with a polymerizable liquid through concentrically-aligned nozzles to form spherically-layered biliquid droplets, followed by energy input in the form of heat or light which causes polymerization of the outer layer. The capsules formed by this method are capable of containing a variety of liquid materials having a composition ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous.
Claims34
A method of encapsulating a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, which comprises:
- (a) generating a continuous coating, or layer, of a polymerizable liquid which surrounds a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, wherein said layer of polymerizable liquid is substantially immiscible with said liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition and,
- (b) inducing polymerization of said polymerizable liquid;
- whereby a solid polymer shell, membrane, or coating is formed which surrounds said discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition;
- wherein said polymerizable liquid contains a photosensitive polymerization initiator that initiates polymerization via absorption of energy in the form of light.
A method of encapsulating a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, which comprises:
- (a) generating a continuous coating, or layer, of a polymerizable liquid which surrounds a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, wherein said layer of polymerizable liquid is substantially immiscible with said liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition and,
- (b) inducing polymerization of said polymerizable liquid;
- whereby a solid polymer shell, membrane, or coating is formed which surrounds said discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition;
- wherein said generating step is effected by causing both polymerizable liquid and said liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, to flow through nozzles having a predetermined geometry and arrangement.
A method of encapsulating a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, which comprises:
- (a) generating a continuous coating, or layer, of a polymerizable liquid which surrounds a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, wherein said layer of polymerizable liquid is substantially immiscible with said liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition and,
- (b) inducing polymerization of said polymerizable liquid;
- whereby a solid polymer shell, membrane, or coating is formed which surrounds said discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition;
- wherein said polymerizable liquid further comprises a thermal polymerization initiator which initiates free-radical vinyl polymerization via absorption of thermal energy.
A capsule comprising a solid polymer shell, membrane, or coating surrounding a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, wherein said a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition contains between 90% and 100% water by mass.
A method of encapsulating a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, which comprises:
- (a) generating a continuous coating, or layer, of a polymerizable liquid which surrounds a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, wherein said layer of polymerizable liquid is substantially immiscible with said liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition and,
- (b) inducing polymerization of said polymerizable liquid;
- whereby a solid polymer shell, membrane, or coating is formed which surrounds said discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition;
- wherein said polymerization occurs while the continuous coating, or layer of a polymerizable liquid surrounding a discrete small volume of a liquid or gel ranging from completely aqueous to completely non-aqueous in composition, is suspended in a liquid medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.