Methods of high throughput hydrocolloid bead production and related apparatuses are described herein. In the disclosed methods, drops of a hydrocolloid gel suspension are dropped into a reactant bath. The drops of hydrocolloid gel are exposed to the reactant bath for a predetermined period of time, during which the drops form firm or semi-firm beads. The beads are then removed from the reactant bath. The resulting hydrocolloid beads are advantageously resistant to syneresis and can provide high nutritional and water content.

This invention concerns a method for the manufacture of a granulated aerogel (1) from a precursor (2), comprising the following steps: mixing the precursor (2) with a synthetic solvent (3) and a hydrolysis agent such as water, and if appropriate a catalyst (4), to obtain a gel, granulating the resulting product, in particular by cutting a jet of said gel, to produce granules, maintaining the granules in contact with the synthetic solvent (3) and the hydrolysis agent, washing the granules by adding a washing solvent to extract in particular the hydrolysis agent and, if appropriate, the catalyst (4), drying of the granules to extract the synthetic solvents (3) and/or washing solvents by sending them supercritical CO.sub.2 in excess, the steps of granulating, maintaining, washing and drying being carried out at a pressure higher than that of the critical point of CO.sub.2, and these conditions being maintained between these steps. The present invention also concerns an installation specially configured to implement the method according to the invention.

This invention concerns a method for the manufacture of a granulated aerogel (1) from a precursor (2), comprising the following steps: mixing the precursor (2) with a synthetic solvent (3) and a hydrolysis agent such as water, and if appropriate a catalyst (4), to obtain a gel, granulating the resulting product, in particular by cutting a jet of said gel, to produce granules, maintaining the granules in contact with the synthetic solvent (3) and the hydrolysis agent, washing the granules by adding a washing solvent to extract in particular the hydrolysis agent and, if appropriate, the catalyst (4), drying of the granules to extract the synthetic solvents (3) and/or washing solvents by sending them supercritical CO.sub.2 in excess, the steps of granulating, maintaining, washing and drying being carried out at a pressure higher than that of the critical point of CO.sub.2, and these conditions being maintained between these steps. The present invention also concerns an installation specially configured to implement the method according to the invention.

The present invention generally relates to microfluidic droplets and, including forming gels within microfluidic droplets. In some aspects, a fluid containing agarose or other gel precursors is transported into a microfluidic droplet, and caused to harden within the droplet, e.g., to form a gel particle contained within the microfluidic droplet. Surprisingly, a discrete gel particle may be formed even if the fluid containing the agarose or other gel precursor, and the fluid contained within the microfluidic droplet, are substantially immiscible. Other aspects of the present invention are generally directed to techniques for making or using such gels within microfluidic droplets, kits containing such gels within microfluidic droplets, or the like.

The present invention generally relates to microfluidic droplets and, including forming gels within microfluidic droplets. In some aspects, a fluid containing agarose or other gel precursors is transported into a microfluidic droplet, and caused to harden within the droplet, e.g., to form a gel particle contained within the microfluidic droplet. Surprisingly, a discrete gel particle may be formed even if the fluid containing the agarose or other gel precursor, and the fluid contained within the microfluidic droplet, are substantially immiscible. Other aspects of the present invention are generally directed to techniques for making or using such gels within microfluidic droplets, kits containing such gels within microfluidic droplets, or the like.

Methods of high throughput hydrocolloid bead production and related apparatuses are described herein. In the disclosed methods, drops of a hydrocolloid gel suspension are dropped into a reactant bath. The drops of hydrocolloid gel are exposed to the reactant bath for a predetermined period of time, during which the drops form firm or semi-firm beads. The beads are then removed from the reactant bath. The resulting hydrocolloid beads are advantageously resistant to syneresis and can provide high nutritional and water content.

Methods of high throughput hydrocolloid bead production and related apparatuses are described herein. In the disclosed methods, drops of a hydrocolloid gel suspension are dropped into a reactant bath. The drops of hydrocolloid gel are exposed to the reactant bath for a predetermined period of time, during which the drops form firm or semi-firm beads. The beads are then removed from the reactant bath. The resulting hydrocolloid beads are advantageously resistant to syneresis and can provide high nutritional and water content.

Methods use a catalytic composition built up from a ceramic material including a catalytic material and a first inorganic binder and a second inorganic binder and a catalytic structure made thereof. Preferably, the structure is made by a colloidal ceramic shaping technique. The structure is used for catalytic or ion exchange applications. The catalytic structures have excellent mechanical, physicochemical and catalytic properties.

Methods use a catalytic composition built up from a ceramic material including a catalytic material and a first inorganic binder and a second inorganic binder and a catalytic structure made thereof. Preferably, the structure is made by a colloidal ceramic shaping technique. The structure is used for catalytic or ion exchange applications. The catalytic structures have excellent mechanical, physicochemical and catalytic properties.

A process is provided for releasably encapsulating a biological entity. The process comprises combining a solution of a surfactant in a non-polar solvent with a precursor material and the biological entity to form an emulsion. The emulsion comprises a polar phase dispersed in a non-polar phase, wherein the polar phase comprises the biological entity. The particles comprising the biological entity are then formed from the polar phase.