Preparation of Polymeric Microcapsules: A Mini Review

Microencapsulation is a process in which solid particles or droplets of liquids and gas bubbles are engulfed by a polymeric thin film or by a coat of inorganic materials. The material inside of a film and the film are so-called core and shell membrane, respectively. Many kinds of microcapsules are extensively used to encapsulate the foods, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, pigments, pesticide and insecticide, catalysts, and enzymes. The shell of microcapsules are often made from a variety of natural or synthetic polymers, depending on the kind of core agent, method of manufacture, and application and desired characteristics in microcapsules. Often, the target of applied microcapsule is controlled timed release and sustained release of core material into consumption medium. The aim of this study is to evaluate the kinds of methods used to prepare polymeric microcapsules. These methods are divided into two main categories: chemical methods and physical methods. Chemical methods have most been used to microencapsulate the chemical active agents. Physical methods have been applied to prepare microcapsules containing medicinal and alimentary materials which are directly connected to the life. The important advantages of the physical methods compared to the chemical ones are to minimize using organic solvents and to control processing temperature; hence using supercritical fluid method in between is the best suitable method which can be used in medicinal and food industries.