About twenty operations carried out on divided solids are described, ranging from crystallization to formulation, in a manner intended to be within the grasp of all involved: it is not a book solely for specialists, but offers a multidisciplinary background and a methodological help to progress. The first six chapters are devoted to theoretical aspects of thermodynamics, kinetics, characterization and sampling of powder in order to clarify the conversions described in the chapters which follow. The remaining nine chapters describe the formation of particles, their drying, granulation, mixing compression and finally dissolution. Specific operations such as dehydration/impregnation, spherical crystallization and the series of operations involved in micro-encapsulation are also treated.
The behavior of particulate materials is of interest to formulation scientists as well as to physical chemists and process engineers. This book offers them a concise and effective account, including their various points of view and highlights the importance of the physical approach. The essential and innovatory interactions between materials and processes are described which are necessary in choosing the correct scale of observation, the appropriate parameters and the right measurements in order to prepare the right material for the expected function, by appropriate formulation and/or process methods.
