Nano- and Micro- Materials Engineering
Chemical Engineering at Loughborough is well known for its expertise in Particle Technology and in recent years this has evolved into nano- and micro- engineering of particles and materials, with regard to their manufacture, formulation and dispersion.
The commercial sectors covered are predominantly in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, but also include personal healthcare and high-value foods (e.g. nutraceutical and low fat products).
Current projects on membrane emulsification techniques, for the production of solid particles as well as liquid dispersions, are advancing our knowledge of how these materials can be produced in a highly controllable, or engineered, way.
Examples include the production of controlled-release particles for delivery of active ingredients and flavourings, high-value process-scale chromatography resin particles and even micro-particles designed for use in the natural environment using sunlight induced photocatalytic oxidation.
The nano- and micro- group benefits from members well known for their expertise in the phenomena of wetting and liquid spreading, membrane emulsification processes, wetting and de-agglomeration of nano-particulate solids in formulated liquid products, and particle-liquid separations.
The Group is well resourced in analytical equipment for research into micro- and nano-particle production and characterisation.
Current areas of interest
- Membrane emulsification processes
- Encapsulated and controlled release products
- Spray drying of coacervate particles for flavourings
- Microfluidic production of highly uniform particulates
- Ion exchange microparticles combined with microfiltration
- Colloidal aggregation and separations
- Wetting phenomena of surfaces and particles
- Dispersion and characterisation of nanoparticles