Electrification/freeze-drying process increases pore size

Highlights

• After electrification and freeze-drying, alginate gels produced moieties (cellular solids) that exhibit major increases in surface area and porosity.
• The process results in structural changes to the gel that can be exploited for both decorative purposes – the gel can be formed into edible, flower-shaped decorations for cakes – as well as pharmaceutical purposes. 
• The resulting gels are able to hold larger volumes of active ingredients for the food, agriculture, or pharmaceutical industries and can be used where there is a need for the release of ingredients into different types of mediums.

Our Innovation

• Hydrocolloid gels subjected to electrification followed by freeze drying undergo shrinkage and changes in shape. The resulting cellular solids have greater surface area and larger pore size.

Key Features

• Can be used to change the texture of dried gels, making them more or less crunchy
• Freeze-dried hydrocolloid gels may be used as carriers for food snacks, non-food matrices and biotechnological operations.
• May be used to enhance pigment (e.g. betanin) release from a dried alginate specimen

Development Milestones

• The method is available for commercialization in the food, agriculture or pharmaceutical industries.

The Opportunity

• Alginates are used in advanced wound care dressings
• Alginates are widely used in the food industry, for instance in the area of restructured products such as fruits and meats or as a stabiliser for the ice cream industry.
• Alginate gels are used in the immobilization of whole cells for the production of extracellular enzymes in the leather industry.
• Alginates are used as scaffolds for tissue engineering (excellent biocompatibility, etc.)