Advanced encapsulation technology for sustainable detergency (CAP-IT)
An EU FP7 Funded Project - 2010 - 2014
Partners: Procter & Gamble Eurocor N V, Belgium; Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, United Kingdom; Consorzio Interuniversitario Per Lo Sviluppo Dei Sistemi A Grande Interfase, Italy; Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Spain; The University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Granutec Granulaton GMBH, Germany
The CAP-IT! project aimed for developing a deep mechanistic understanding of coating and encapsulation processes to stabilise actives in fluid compacted consumer goods. Six partners from two companies, three universities, and five European countries have exchanged knowledge and personnel to achieve breakthroughs in the field of sustainable detergency. The research programme involved screening and proof of concept of active wall materials combinations, process development for particle production, characterisation of particles, and creating an overall holistic model. Innovative aspects of the project include using microfluidic devices, new high throughput screening approaches, new materials to allow the encapsulation of actives for fluid matrices, and novel modelling techniques.
POSTER 1: CAP-IT! Advanced encapsulation technology for sustainable detergency
The CAP-IT Project Team
POSTER 2: inprotec AG: Contract Manufacturing
Jessica Banidol and Olga Iwanow - inprotec AG, Germany
POSTER 3: Coating of Actives: From coating-centered to actives-centered processes
Jessica Banidol, Olga Iwanow - inprotec AG, Zhibing Zhang - University of Birmingham and Antonio Quintieri - Procter & Gamble
POSTER 4: Microcapsules for confining fluids: prediction of shell stability from advanced SAXS investigations
Moira Ambrosi, Emiliano Fratini, Piero Baglioni - Department of Chemistry & CSGI - University of Florence, Susana Fernández Prieto and Johan Smets - Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA
POSTER 5: Microencapsulation: how to select your materials for a successful core-shell encapsulation
Alberto V. Puga, Albert Gasull Morales and Ricard Garcia Valls - METEOR group - Chemistry Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTQC), Mario Benassi Neto, Raúl Rodrigo Gómez, Susana Fernández Prieto and Johan Smets - Brussels Innovation Center - Procter and Gamble
POSTER 6: Modelling tools for microencapsulation
Diego G. Oliva, Albert Gasull Morales and Laureano Jimenez Esteller - Departament d'Enginyeria Química - Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria Química - Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Raúl Rodrigo Gómez, Susana Fernández Prieto, Johan Smets - Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA, David Smith - Newcastle Innovation Center, Procter and Gamble
POSTER 7: Microencapsulation of water soluble particles using wet chemistry
Sorin Sauca and Zhibing Zhang - University of Birmingham, Susana Fernandez Prieto and Johan Smets - Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA
POSTER 1: CAP-IT! Advanced encapsulation technology for sustainable detergency
Carlos Amador6, Moira Ambrosi3, Piero Baglioni3, Jessica Banidol4, Mario Benassi1, Walter Broeckx1, Vivek Davda2, Susana Fernández Prieto1, Emiliano Fratini3, Diego Gabriel Oliva5, Ricard Garcia Valls5, Albert Gasull Morales5, Olga Iwanow4, Laureano Jiménez Esteller5, Norbert Lambert4, Jennifer Efua Kwansima Quansah3, Antonio Quintieri1, Xuemiao Pam2, Raúl Rodrigo Gómez1, Sorin Sauca2, Pierre Schwerdtfeger4, Alberto Simoncelli1, Johan Smets1, David Smith6, Alberto V. Puga5, Chiara Vannucci3, Dave York6, and Zhibing Zhang2
1 Procter & Gamble, Temselaan 100, 1853 Strombeek-Bever, Belgium &
2 School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
3Department of Chemistry & CSGI, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
4 inprotec AG, Germany
5Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans, 26, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
6Newcastle Innovation Center, Procter and Gamble, Whitley Road, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 9TS, UK
Abstract:
CAP-IT! is a team formed by academic and industrial partners which has taken the challenge of developing advanced encapsulation technologies for sustainable detergency. The CAP-IT! project aimed to develop a deep mechanistic understanding of coating and encapsulation processes to stabilise actives in fluid compacted consumer goods in order to enable compaction and, therefore, reduction in transport of detergency materials, thus fewer CO2 emissions; reduction in packaging material; energy reduction, meaning more active chemistries will allow for the use of lower temperature cycles; and water reduction whereby more active chemistries will allow for shorter washing cycles. In addition, it set out to overcome the disadvantages of traditional encapsulation processes, such as: universal techniques for a broad set of actives with diverse properties, different release profiles required for the same application, interactions of active materials and wall chemistries and the requirement of perfect capsule.
POSTER 2: inprotec AG: Contract Manufacturing
Jessica Banidol and Olga Iwanow
inprotec AG, Germany
Abstract:
inprotec AG is a contract manufacturer in the field of fluidized bed technology and classical spray drying. Fluidised-bed and spray-drying technologies are the foundations of inprotec services.
Today fluidised-bed technology is a thermal drying technology that complements classical spray drying in several industrial sectors. These two technologies serve as the basis for our versatile contract services.
The basic principle of the technology is that a fluid medium flows through a container filled with solid particles. The flow causes the solid particles to mix with the flowing medium and become fluidised. The result is a free-flowing, loosened mass of fine-grained particles. The main feature of a fluidised bed is that it provides continuous drying, so that a defined residual moisture can be achieved. Further advantages are excellent heat and mass transfer, and the elimination of the risk of overheating.
Fluidised bed technology can be employed for various processes intended to modify the physical properties of the substances being treated. The excellent drying characteristics of this technology smooth the path for the development of further processes, such as agglomeration, coating and spray granulation.
POSTER 3: Coating of Actives: From coating-centered to actives-centered processes
Jessica Banidol1, Olga Iwanow1, Zhibing Zhang2 and Antonio Quintieri3
1inprotec AG, Germany; 2University of Birmingham, UK; 3Procter & Gamble, Belgium
Abstract:
This paper will present an amazing journey from ‘What is Coating’ to ‘Why do we need Coating’, highlight the importance of understanding the characteristics of the core materials, coating materials, and customer needs, and describe how coating materials should be customised to fit the characteristics of active ingredients, the application and processes, including critical process variables and their impact on controlled and sustained release of the active ingredients.
Moira Ambrosi1, Emiliano Fratini1, Piero Baglioni1, Susana Fernández Prieto2 and Johan Smets2
1Department of Chemistry & CSGI, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
2 Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA, Temselaan 100, 1853 Strombeek-Bever, Belgium
Abstract:
Microencapsulation is a powerful technique to shield an active product from the surrounding environment. The functional ingredient is enclosed by a suitable barrier, which can either confine the active material within the capsule walls and that can regulate its release behaviour for example by triggering responsive shells. Polymeric microcapsules represent an effective tool to confine a broad range of materials for diverse applications. Capsule stability is certainly related to morphological characteristics. Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) is a suitable technique to investigate the structure of capsule shell at the nanometer scale. In fact, SAXS allows determining structure of materials whose dimension ranges between 1 to about 100 nm and the shell of polymeric microcapsules is generally in this dimension range. In the present study, SAXS was employed to disclose the wall nanostructure in order to quantitatively link capsules’ structural features to their leakage properties. Shell thickness and polydispersity were first determined. Afterwards, a model-independent parameter, the so-called “bump descriptor”, was defined to quantitatively estimate capsule stability, so attaining the aforementioned quantitative correlation. To the best of our knowledge, such quantitative correlation between leakage profiles and structural features has never been attempted before.
POSTER 5: Microencapsulation: how to select your materials for a successful core-shell encapsulation
Alberto V. Puga1, Albert Gasull Morales1,2, Mario Benassi Neto2, Raúl Rodrigo Gómez2, Susana Fernández Prieto2, Johan Smets2, Ricard Garcia Valls1
1 METEOR group, Chemistry Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTQC), Marcel·lí Domingo, s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
2 Brussels Innovation Center, Procter and Gamble, Temselaan 100, B-1853 Strombeek-Bever, Belgium
Abstract:
The process of microencapsulation involves the coating of high-value substances in order to maximise their performance. Therefore, microcapsules have two main functions and that is 1) to protect the capsule loading from the environment and 2) deliver it at the intended timeframe. Hence, the selection of a suitable and high performing wall material is vital for the development of capsules. Nevertheless, the selection of wall material as capsule wall is of multi-vectorial challenge for an encapsulator. Once, the capsule wall material is selected, an encapsulation process has to be developed to produce a high performing and cost effective microcapsule. It has been proven that core-shell morphology is desirable since there is an optimization of the wall material surrounding the active substance, avoiding inappropriate release of the active. This communication encompasses a holistic approach for microencapsulation processes from the development of methodologies for the selection of wall materials to the manufacturing of core/shell morphologies with the selected wall materials.
POSTER 6: Modelling tools for microencapsulation
Diego G. Oliva1, Albert Gasull Morales1,2, Raúl Rodrigo Gómez2, Susana Fernández Prieto2, Johan Smets2, David Smith3, Laureano Jimenez Esteller1
1Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans, 26, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
2 Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA, Temselaan 100, 1853 Strombeek-Bever, Belgium
3Newcastle Innovation Center, Procter and Gamble, Whitley Road, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 9TS, UK
Abstract:
Modelling has proved to be a vital instrument for the decision making process within the industrial sector. The models developed for microencapsulation may range from the economical assessment of a developing process technology to the environmental impact of a process modification. Thus, the right balance of modelling and experimental effort aids to speed up the learning curve of a developing process identifying its weaknesses as well as its optimised conditions for success. Thus, this communication is focused on the dissemination of modelling tools implemented to assist the assessment of the scale up of microencapsulation processes, in terms of operational parameters and cost effective solutions, and the understanding of the environmental impact of different substances and processes used to manufacture microcapsules.
POSTER 7: Microencapsulation of water soluble particles using wet chemistry
Sorin Sauca1, Susana Fernandez Prieto2, Johan Smets2 and Zhibing Zhang1*
1 School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT
2 Procter & Gamble Services NV/SA, Temselaan 100, 1853 Strombeek-Bever, Belgium
Abstract:
Peroxycarboxilic acid (PAP) in powder form as a model bleach was encapsulated using different formulation and processing conditions. The first example is based on emulsification of aqueous sodium alginate with PAP in mineral oil followed by gelation of sodium alginate with calcium chloride. The 2nd example is encapsulation of PAP in silica resulting from emulsification of mineral oil with PAP in aqueous silica pre-condensate followed by reaction between the pre-condensate and hydrochloric acid.
It has been found that PAP encapsulated in calcium alginate showed a sustained release over a week in a commercial detergent, whist PAP in silica was stable for 1 month at 35°C in the detergent. The details of the formulation and processing conditions, and the properties of the formed microcapsules will be presented.