IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO ENCAPSULATION

摘要

A method of encapsulating a product to make capsules is disclosed ; each capsule (12) is comprised of a shell (10) which holds the product and is formed of polymeric material which consists substantially totally of a single polymer. A method of encapsulating comprises forming droplets (4) of a liquid mixture of the product and a single suitable prepolymer and then exposing the droplets to a polymerising medium (8) for the prepolymer so as to polymerise the outer surfaces of the droplets, thereby forming the shells and thus the desired capsules (12). An alternative method is disclosed in which the method of encapsulating comprises forming shells containing no product by exposing droplets of a prepolymer to a polymerising medium for the prepolymer, so as to polymerise the outer surfaces of the droplets and thus form the shells and exposing these shells to an environment containing the product, and causing or allowing the product to diffuse through and into the shells, thus forming the desired capsules.