Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing seeds that are transformed into hollow spheres. A seed includes a core and a coating. Upon heating, the coating becomes viscous and expands responsive to an internal gas pressure created by the core. Example applications for the seeds and/or cores are disclosed, including bricks and other construction materials having the hollow spheres incorporated therein.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing seeds that are transformed into hollow spheres. A seed includes a core and a coating. Upon heating, the coating becomes viscous and expands responsive to an internal gas pressure created by the core. Example applications for the seeds and/or cores are disclosed, including bricks and other construction materials having the hollow spheres incorporated therein.

The invention relates to the field of capsules having a high load of active ingredients or substances, to the use thereof in cosmetic preparations, pharmaceuticals, household products, cleaning agents and technical compositions, e.g. adhesive and coating compositions, and to the manufacturing of the capsules.

Hollow particles containing monocrystalline titanium oxide and silica, and having a titanium oxide content of 86.0-99.5 mol % and a silica content of 0.5-14.0 mol %; and a method of producing the particles. A white ink containing the hollow particles as a coloring agent; the use of the white ink in inkjet recording; and a method for inkjet recording using the white ink.

Hollow particles containing monocrystalline titanium oxide and silica, and having a titanium oxide content of 86.0-99.5 mol % and a silica content of 0.5-14.0 mol %; and a method of producing the particles. A white ink containing the hollow particles as a coloring agent; the use of the white ink in inkjet recording; and a method for inkjet recording using the white ink.

Systems, methods, and devices are described to synthesize gas-filled microbubbles using a continuous flow chamber with a reaction volume and a sonicator positioned therein, by flowing a lipid solution at a first flow rate and gas at a first pressure into the reaction volume while ultrasonically agitating an interface between the lipid solution and the gas in the reaction volume using the sonicator member to generate a solution of gas-filled microbubbles, which solution can be concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution of microbubbles containing at least 23% of the core gas by volume.

Systems, methods, and devices are described to synthesize gas-filled microbubbles using a continuous flow chamber with a reaction volume and a sonicator positioned therein, by flowing a lipid solution at a first flow rate and gas at a first pressure into the reaction volume while ultrasonically agitating an interface between the lipid solution and the gas in the reaction volume using the sonicator member to generate a solution of gas-filled microbubbles, which solution can be concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution of microbubbles containing at least 23% of the core gas by volume.

Compositions for preventing or limiting surface fouling as well as evaporation and methods for their use in air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses are described. A mobilizing wax material may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus, which permits the at least partially encapsulated reaction droplet to be portable within the DMF apparatus. Additional aqueous droplets may be combined with the encapsulated droplet, by merging with an aqueous droplet having a coating of a secondary material (e.g., an oil or other hydrophobic material) that may allow combining of the droplets. The compositions may be additionally useful in non-DMF applications such as laboratory protocols for hybridization, ligation and amplification.

Compositions for preventing or limiting surface fouling as well as evaporation and methods for their use in air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses are described. A mobilizing wax material may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus, which permits the at least partially encapsulated reaction droplet to be portable within the DMF apparatus. Additional aqueous droplets may be combined with the encapsulated droplet, by merging with an aqueous droplet having a coating of a secondary material (e.g., an oil or other hydrophobic material) that may allow combining of the droplets. The compositions may be additionally useful in non-DMF applications such as laboratory protocols for hybridization, ligation and amplification.

The invention relates to a process for coating water-insoluble solids by ionic gelation employing negatively-charged macromolecules and a source of polyvalent cations as film-forming materials, wherein the coating material represents not more than 10% (w/w) with regard to the total weight of the coated solid. The coated insoluble solids may be subsequently dried to generate surface-modified dry particles for use as active ingredients and/or excipients in the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions or food products.