Preparation and characterisation of novel PEEKWC capsules by phase inversion technique

Capsules of PEEKWC are prepared using a membrane process combined with phase inversion technique. Polymeric droplets were prepared using a mono-pore film in polyethylene with pore diameter ranging from 300 to 1000 mm. The morphology, porosity and shell thickness of the made capsules are modified changing some process parameters such as the polymeric concentration or the non solvent in the coagulation bath.

The formation of mono-dispersed PEEKWC capsules with different morphologies has been carried out. The capsule morphology and dimension can be easily adjusted changing the involved phases (phase 1, 2 and 3) in the process and the membrane pore sizes respectively. These preliminary tests, using membrane pore diameter ranging from 300 to 1000 mm, show that droplet sizes are almost constant. Furthermore, computational studies on the controlled release of active chemical compounds in function of capsule morphology and dimensions are in progress. This study can be considered as the starting point toward the production of loaded nano-sized capsules by phase inversion.