Abstract
Precipitation using a compressed antisolvent (PCA) is a demonstrated technology for generation of monodisperse ultrafine particles. Microparticle precipitation using CO2-philic antisolvents was studied with the ultimate goal of developing fundamental approaches to tailor microparticle generation. The ability to micronize small solutes and polymeric systems using CO2-philic liquid antisolvents is compared to precipitation with compressed CO2 and traditional antisolvents. Analogies are made between PCA and CO2-philic antisolvent precipitation based on thermodynamic driving forces and the dynamics of the spray process. Analysis of the interfacial gradient energies of the miscible solvent - antisolvent systems indicates that the spray process is dominated by turbulent mixing and not atomization. The similar microparticle morphologies of amorphous and semicrystalline poly(lactic acid) (PLA) obtained using liquid CO2-philic antisolvents and compressed CO2 suggest that a similar demixing mechanism dominates microparticle formation at these operating conditions.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1850-1859 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | AICHE Journal |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2000 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Environmental Engineering
- General Chemical Engineering