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Background Microfluidization can produce highly stable and homogenous aqueous media, even when the sample consists of hydrophobic and nonpolar components, due to its combined forces like ultra-high-pressure, high-velocity impact, cavitation, and intense shear rate. The forces during microfluidization lead to transformation in material structure and conformation which result in modifications in the material characteristics and can be a base for new application areas. Scope and approach Although microfluidization is commonly known with its effects on particle size reduction, this innovative technique is also highly successful for formation of emulsion-based systems. Recently, a few new application areas have emerged, such as nanoparticle formation and treatment of beverages. Despite increasing interest of using microfluidization in new areas, there is not a comprehensive review of these studies in the literature. Therefore, in this paper, these studies have been reviewed and discussed in three main categories: 1) emulsion-based systems, including dairy products and lab-created emulsions, 2) nanoparticles, and 3) beverages. Also, the processing factors that need to be taken into consideration are outlined in this review. Key Findings and Conclusions Homogenizing milk with microfluidization significantly improved the physical properties of milk-derived products, especially textural properties. Microfluidization also provided better stability compared to conventional techniques and enabled production of new functional emulsions. Its liposome applications showed great potential to extend specific activities of substances. Microfluidization also improved bioavailability of food grade nanoparticles and helped eliminating cloudiness in beverages by significantly reducing particle size.

Fruits and vegetables (F&V) are the second highest recommended foods, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, vital for building immunity against chronic diseases. F&V processing involves particle size reduction, for which different types of homogenizers, categorized as mechanical homogenizers, pressure homogenizers and ultrasonic homogenizers are used. The review discusses different types of homogenizers, their working mechanism, and application in F&V processing. Among mechanical homogenizers, knife mills are used for primary size reduction, ball mills for the micronization of dried F&V and rotor-stator homogenizers for emulsification. Use of the ultrasonic homogenizer is limited to extraction of bioactive compounds or as a pre-treatment for dehydration of F&V. High-pressure homogenizers are most widely used and reported due to the synergistic effect of homogenization and temperature increase, resulting in longer shelf-life and better physicochemical properties of the product. Additionally, the review also explains the effect of homogenization on the physicochemical, sensory and nutraceutical properties of the product.

We report the sonochemically activated solid-state synthesis of BaTiO3 powders. Unlike conventional ball-mill mixing, coarse BaCO3 and fine TiO2 powders were sonochemically mixed in ethanol, requiring only 5 min for full mixing and activation. Significantly accelerated phase conversion to BaTiO3 via a solid-state reaction was achieved by the sonochemical mixing, and the process exhibited almost Arrhenius-type activation behavior depending on the ultrasonic power. The sonochemical activation was attributed to the preferential fragmentation of BaCO3 by the ultrasonic irradiation, which led to the particle size reduction and homogeneous mixing in the sonochemical mixtures. Based on the structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric characterizations, we suggest that the sonochemical mixing can replace the time-consuming ball-mill mixing for the solid-state synthesis of BaTiO3 powders and can also be applied to develop a time-saving, contamination-free, and cost-effective process for various ceramic industries.

Piperine, the main bioactive compound found in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), has long been used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This compound has remarkable potential pharmacological properties, including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective. Recent studies have reported piperine activity as an antiviral against SARS-CoV-2, which caused COVID-19. Nevertheless, the clinical use of piperine is still limited, due to its poor water solubility and bioavailability; therefore, various approaches have been developed in order to solve these limitations. This review summarises recent studies (i.e. uploaded to electronic databases in the last 10 y) regarding strategies that have been investigated to improve piperine’s solubility and pharmacokinetic properties, using ‘piperine’, ‘solubility’, ‘bioavailability’, and ‘formulation’ as keywords. Articles that have focused on piperine as the main compound were selected and sorted based on their modification and formulation types. Studies reported various approaches: from derivatives and analogue synthesis, crystal engineering, complexation, particle size reduction (micro-and nanonisation), and lipid-and polymer-based drug delivery systems, to inorganic and hybrid nanoparticles. This review also highlights limitations and challenges for these approaches and encourages further studies to optimise piperine’s potential benefits.

The present work investigated the influence of ultrasonication (US) on the structural and functional properties of Seabuckthorn seed protein concentrate. Ultrasonication was carried out by varying time (0, 5, 15, 25, and 35 min) with a constant power supply of 500 W/cm2.The structural properties were evaluated by FTIR, SDS-PAGE, DLS and FE-SEM. The study revealed that solubility and emulsifying activity index of all the US treated protein concentrates were significantly higher than that of untreated sample and ranged between 7–54% and 13–39%, respectively. The decrease in the percentage of α-helix and increase of β-sheet structure by ultrasonication was confirmed by FTIR. However, SDS-PAGE revealed no change in molecular weight of protein with ultrasonication. The increase in particle size reduction with the increase of US time was confirmed by FE-SEM and DLS. The results of zeta potential revealed that seed protein contains negative charge on its surface and percentage of negative charge increased with ultrasonication duration.

Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenolic active compound with antimalarial and other promising therapeutic activities. However, its solubility and its permeability are both low (BCS IV). These properties greatly compromise its oral bioavailability and clinical utilizations. To overcome these limitations of the physicochemical parameters, several formulation approaches, including particle size reduction, amorphization and lipid-based formulations, have been used. Although these strategies have not yet led to a clinical application, some of them have resulted in significant improvements in the solubility and bioavailability of EA. This critical review reports and analyses the different formulation approaches used by scientists to improve both the biopharmaceutical properties and the clinical use of EA.

In this paper, the milling parameters of high energy ball mill (Fritsch Pulverisette 7) like vial geometry, number and size of balls and speed of the mill were modelled and discussed. Simulations through discrete element method (DEM) provide correlation between the milling parameters. A mathematical model is used to improve and develop this process. The results show that the loss of powder mass can remarkably improve the performance of milling. The balls made of stainless-steel have a positive effect on the milling efficiency. The simulation shows that the high ball milling velocities can contribute to faster particle size reduction.

In this paper, we have studied the effect of size reduction on charge ordering (CO) and magnetic phase separation in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. The magnetic ground state at low temperature shifts from ferroma...

The conductive polyaniline (PANi) with fine particles of sizes from 724 nm down to 191 nm has been successfully synthesized through chemical oxidation reaction. The synthesis of PANi was carried out in acidic media under HCl 1.5 M solution using ammonium persulphate (APS) as an oxidizing agent in the presence of anionic surfactants. Two different types of surfactant respectively Sodium Octyl Sulphate (SOS) and Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS) were brought into an investigation on the effect of the surfactant chain length of C8 and C12 to the particle size formation. Such molecular chain length is responsible for the particle size growth rate. It was found that the average particle size of PANi decreased gradually by the addition of SOS and SDS surfactants with 1 % concentration each. The particle of PANi with sizes 296 nm and 191 nm was obtained as analyzed by Particle Size Analyzer (PSA). These sizes are far below 724 nm, which obtained from the same reaction but with surfactant free. Other supporting indicators showed that the pH of reaction solution was somewhat more acidic after 7 hours of reaction when the surfactant with pH value range within 0.7 – 1.4 presence. The temperature of solution increased with time following the energy released reached 30-31°C within the first 30 minutes, which was lower when compared with that of surfactant free.

A material-sparing screening methodology has been developed for assessing the risk of particle size attrition of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) during agitated drying using a single-ball ...

International audience; This study investigated the oral processing and bolus formation mechanisms of two soft cereal products fortified with pulse proteins, sponge-cake (FSC) and brioche (FB), in the elderly population, and their relationship with the perception of oral comfort. Twenty subjects aged 65 and over participated in the study. They were classified in two groups according to dental status (poor vs. satisfactory) and presented varying stimulated salivary flow rate (SSF). Bolus properties (hydration ratio, apparent viscosity and particle size) were characterized after three chewing stages. Results showed that subjects with a poor dental status (DS) had a longer chewing duration for FB, while individuals with a higher SSF had a shorter duration for FSC. Compared to FSC, more saliva was added to the FB boli, and the viscosity and particle size of FB bolus were also higher. Based on the bolus particle size evolution during chewing, FB was considered to be more difficult to fragment than FSC, this latter showing a dramatic particle size reduction from the beginning of chewing. From the viscosity data, a model was used to represent the variations of the bolus structure index during chewing and a coefficient of interaction of saliva with food was defined. For both products, the perception of comfort depended more on the DS than on SSF. Bolus apparent viscosity was related to the perception of oral comfort in FSC, while the chewing duration and the bolus particle size at the beginning of chewing contributed to explain oral comfort in FB. Finally, the comparison of these results with those obtained previoulsy with standard (i.e. non enriched) sponge cake and brioche suggested that the proposed protein fortification did not challenge the oral comfort perception by the elderly.

Solvent–antisolvent recrystallization produced ~8 µm average size RDX particles (UF-RDX) that were subsequently subjected to mechanical methods of ultrasonication and ball-milling to find further a...

The aim of the present work is the study of the feasibility of a solid carob waste valorization from the Lebanese food industry using dark fermentation for a second-generation biohydrogen productio...

The feasibility of low-frequency ultrasound in enhancing the flotability of flaky graphite from low-grade graphite ore was investigated in this present study. This study involves a fundamental understanding of ultrasonic-assisted graphite flotation process and its relative comparison with the conventional flotation process. The flotation experiments were conducted in three stages viz., rougher, cleaner, re-cleaner stage during both convention and ultrasonic-assisted flotation. It was found that the efficiency of ultrasonic-assisted flotation was significantly higher than conventional flotation. The yield, fixed carbon content and percentage recovery of the flotation concentrate products increased significantly under ultrasonic-assisted flotation. Furthermore, the ultrasonic mechanism and its effect responsible for the breakage of graphite-impurities locked particles and particle size reduction were also discussed comprehensively. The raw graphite (RG) and final flotation concentrate products of conventional and ultrasonic-assisted flotation process were characterized by Stereomicroscope, X-Ray Diffraction, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope and Raman Spectroscopy to understand the graphite liberation properties, mineralogical properties, surface properties and microcrystalline properties, respectively.

International audience; This study investigated the mechanisms of fragmentation leading to bolus formation during chewing in the elderly population for two cereal foods of different compositions and cellular structure: sponge-cake (SC) and brioche (B). For both products, mechanical properties were characterized by uniaxial compression and 3D cellular structure was determined using x-ray micro-tomography. Stress-strain curves showed two distinct ductile-like behaviors: product B underwent plastic deformation, whereas product SC displayed a hyper-elastic behavior. Twenty subjects aged 65 years and over with two different oral health conditions (poor vs satisfactory dental status, variable stimulated salivary flow rate) were asked to consume both products. Bolus particle size was determined at three different chewing stages through image analysis, and the resulting particle size distribution (PSD) curves were fitted by Gompertz model. The model parameters were related to bolus particle heterogeneity and fragmentation, thanks to their correlations with median particle size diameter D-50 and interquartile ratio (D-75/D-25), directly extracted from PSD curves. The use of model parameters allowed discriminating between chewing sequences for both products and revealed different fragmentation patterns: while SC boli exhibited a continuous particle size reduction during chewing, B displayed a combination of fragmentation and agglomeration. In addition, results showed that subjects with a satisfactory dental status produced significantly more degraded boli than those with a poor dental status. These results highlight distinct fragmentation mechanisms for these two soft products that were interpreted in relation to their differences in composition, structure and mechanical behavior.

Carbonate sands are prone to chemomechanical degradation in the form of particle size reduction and change in particle morphology due to their biogenic formation. Such degradation consequently alte...

The solubility of a solute is the maximum quantity of solute that can dissolve in a certain quantity of solvent or quantity of solution at a specified temperature. Solubility is one of the important parameter to achieve desired concentration of drug in systemic circulation for pharmacological response to be shown. Solubility is essential for the therapeutic effectiveness of the drug, independent of the route of administration. Low aqueous solubility is the major problem encountered with formulation development of new chemical entities as well as for the generic development. Poorly soluble drugs are often a challenging task for formulators in the industry Conventional approaches for enhancement of solubility have limited applicability, especially when the drugs are poorly soluble simultaneously in aqueous and in non-aqueous media. Drug with poor water solubility cause slow dissolution rates, generally show erratic and incomplete absorption leading to low bioavailability when administered orally. Solubilization may be affected by cosolvent water interaction, micellar solubilization, reduction in particle size, inclusion complexes, solid dispersion, and change in polymorph. Some new technologies are also available to increase the solubility like micro emulsion, self-emulsifying drug delivery system and supercritical fluid technology. This present review details about the different approaches used for the enhancement of the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs include particle size reduction, nanonization, pH adjustment, solid dispersion, complexation, co‐solvency, hydrotropy etc. The purpose of this article is to describe the techniques of solubilization for the attainment of effective absorption and improved bioavailability. Keywords: Solubility, Solubility Enhancement, bioavailability, solid dispersion, Solid Dispersion, Solubilization.

Developing processes to deliver formulation-ready active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a robust and consistent manner comes with challenges. An important challenge relates to particle properties, and one of the representative particle properties that can be measured is the particle size distribution. In the absence of further processing such as particle size reduction, it is paramount to understand and control the particle size of the API within the final crystallization stage. The example presented here is a salt formation in which the introduction of the salt forming agent into the solution of the ionized form of the API enables the new salt entity to crystallize. It is important to evaluate the risks associated with changes in equipment and scale on particle size and shape, to ensure that any appropriate mitigation activities can be implemented. Here, the approach was divided in two steps: first, the establishment of the crystallization mechanisms involved in the process and, second, the modelin...

Poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PEVAc) is a copolymer endowed with high elasticity and resilient properties, potentially utilized in various applications. However, the tensile strength of this copolymer is insufficient for use in certain applications that require enough strength to tolerate high external tension or stress. In this study, dolomite was proposed as a nanofiller to reinforce the PEVAc. Raw dolomite was physically and chemically modified in order to improve its mix ability and interfacial adhesion between the PEVAc and dolomite. Initially, the size of dolomite was reduced by combining the ball-milling and tip-sonication methods. SEM, TEM, and XRD were used to characterize the morphology/structure of the raw dolomite and the size-reduced dolomite. Then, a particle size analysis was performed to confirm the average particle size. Our results show that the particle size of dolomite was reduced from 150 µm to 441.4 nm by the physical modification process (size reduction). Based on the TEM analysis, the Feret diameter (df) of the dolomite particles was also reduced from ~112.78 µm to ~139.58 nm only. This physically modified dolomite is referred as dolomite nanoparticles (DNPs), since one or more of its dimensions is less than 100 nm (e.g., thickness and width). To further improve the dolomite and PEVAc matrix interactions, chemical modification of the DNPs were performed by treating the DNPs with stearic acid, forming non-polar dolomite nanoparticles (NP-DNPs). The presence of stearic acid in dolomite was confirmed through FTIR and contact angle analyses. A PEVAc nanocomposite film with NP-NPDs as a nanofiller appeared more homogeneous and exhibited the highest increment in tensile strength and elongation at break. These findings indicated that the combination of ball milling and tip sonication is an efficient method for producing very fine dolomite particles up to the nano-size range, whereas chemical surface modifications improved the compatibility between the dolomite and the copolymer. The combination of these physical and chemical modifications helped to develop a homogeneous copolymer nanocomposite system with improved tensile properties.

We report a pervasive phenomenon of gradual emergence of negative magnetization in typical ${R}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{D}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ orthorhombic perovskite manganites in nanoform (with ${R}^{3+}$ being a trivalent high-magnetic-moment ion from the heavier rare-earth elements Gd, Tb, Dy and ${D}^{2+}$ refers to divalent alkaline elements Sr, Ca, etc.), while the bulk form manifests no negative magnetization. Extensive magnetization studies have been carried out in ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ around half doping. We demonstrate experimentally that particle size reduction in nano-form manganites enhances the propensity of the system to exhibit negative magnetization and propose a theoretical explanation for the phenomenon. To test the universality of our findings, we have extended the measurement to ${\mathrm{Dy}}_{0.6}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.4}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and obtained similar results.

“Particle engineering” is a term coined to encompass means of producing particles having a defined morphology, particle size distribution, and composition. Generally, particle engineering is associated with particle size reduction techniques, such as media milling and homogenization, and micro- or nanoparticle formation techniques, such as spray-drying, are mostly well established. Particle engineering combines elements of many others, including chemistry, pharmaceutics, colloid science, mass and heat transfer, aerosol and powder science, and solid-state physics. The emerging technology such as nanotechnology whose goal is to control individual atoms and molecules to create material that has a size of only a few nanometers. Nanotechnology provides methods for targeting and releasing therapeutic compounds in very defined regions. Similarly, 3-D printing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) are promising potentials for precision and personalized medicine in the coming years. Other emerging particle engineering approaches include supercritical fluid technology, co-crystallization, electrospinning, and microbiome-based therapeutics. All these emerging engineering technologies will change the way we develop and manufacture pharmaceutical dosage forms in the coming years.

The impact of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and their combination with a thermal treatment on the bioaccessibility of phenolic and carotenoid compounds in oil-added carrot puree (5 %) was investigated. Fractions of such puree were differently treated: subjected to PEF (5 pulses of 3.5 kV cm−1) (PEF); thermally treated (70 °C for 10 min) (T) or first PEF treated and then thermally treated (PEF/T). Purees were in vitro digested, carotenoid and phenolic content and bioaccessibility were determined. Likewise, quality attributes and microstructure were analyzed. Generally, treatments did not affect carotenoid content and quality attributes, whereas phenolic content dramatically decreased after PEF. Nevertheless, all treatments enhanced both compounds bioaccessibilities, which were trebled in PEF-treated purees. Particle size reduction may suggest that microstructural changes could be responsible of bioaccessibility increases. Therefore, PEF could be a feasible treatment to enhance phenolic and carotenoid bioaccessibility without altering quality attributes of carrot-based puree. This research has been financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) reference AGL2013-44851-R and Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci ́on y Universidades (Spain) grant number RTI2018- 095560-B-I00. L ́opez-G ́amez, G. thanks the Ag`encia de Gesti ́o d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR) for the predoctoral grant.

Phytosterols are sterols naturally occurring in plant cells and well known for their cholesterollowering activity, as witnessed by the large number of food supplements based on these functional ingredients available on the market. However, the marked hydrophobic character of phytosterols makes their solubility in biological fluids extremely low, with disadvantageous consequences on the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. In this work, we explore the effect of particle size reduction on the water solubility of stigmasterol, one of the most abundant phytosterols, through the formulation of nanocystals. A robust, top-down production process was employed to prepare stigmasterol nanocrystals, subsequently characterized by thermal and spectroscopic techniques. When formulated as nanocrystals, the solubility of stigmasterol in water and in simulated gastro-intestinal fluids was boosted compared to the raw material. The increased solubility of stigmasterol nanocrystals makes such formulation a promising candidate for the development of medicinal/nutraceutical products with enhanced bioavailability.

Wheat bran is a by-product rich in bioactive compounds but possess a strong polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, which can act undesirably on product quality. This study aimed to optimize the particle size (500, 255, 10 µm) of wheat bran and time and amplitude of high- intensity ultrasound (HIU) treatment on the PPO activity, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and water swelling using response surface methodology. The PPO activity decreased depending on the particle size and HIU treatment time. Phenolic content, antioxidant activity and swelling were dependent on bran particle size. Temperature rise, depending on the HIU time and amplitude, affected PPO, phenolics and antioxidants. In optimized conditions (particle size 10 µm, HIU 15 min), 93% of bran PPO was inactivated while phenolic content increased for 11%. Wheat flour combined with micronized and ultrasonically treated bran (at 20% w/w) had improved gluten formation and pasting properties compared with flour containing native bran.

Dosimetric properties of submicron BaSO4:Eu phosphor have been studied. Top down approach (ball billing) has been adopted to reduce the grain size of the material to submicron level. Phosphor showed good thermoluminescence (TL) properties. The TL properties of the phosphor were altered due to the particle size reduction on ball milling. Ball milling affected the kinetics of TL Processes. TL dose response of the phosphor has been linearly increased upto 4 kGy on ball milling which makes it useful in high dose dosimetric applications.

Six ruminal-cannulated nonlactating Holstein Friesian cows (mean body weight:660 ± 42.9 kg) were used to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) supplementation on voluntary rice straw (RS) intake, feed particle size reduction, and passage kinetics in the rumen. They were allocated to two dietary treatments: RS alone or RS supplemented with SBM. Voluntary dry matter intake of RS and total tract fiber digestibility was increased by SBM supplementation (p < 0.05). Supplementation with SBM decreased rumination time per dietary dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) intake (p < 0.01). Particle size distribution in the rumen and total ruminal NDFom digesta weights were not affected by SBM supplementation. However, the disappearance rates of total digesta and large and small particles from the rumen were increased by SBM supplementation (p < 0.01). Moreover, SBM supplementation increased the rate of size reduction in ruminal particles (p < 0.05). In situ disappearance of DM and NDFom of RS in the rumen was greater in SBM-supplemented cows than in nonsupplemented cows (p < 0.05). This study clearly showed that increased ruminal RS particle size reduction, passage, and fermentation due to SBM supplementation accelerated the RS particle clearance from the rumen and resulted in increased voluntary RS intake of dairy cows.

Ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (FMNPs) are gaining popularity to design biosensors for high-performance clinical diagnosis. The fusion of information shows that FMNPs based biosensors require well-tuned FMNPs as detection probes to produce large and specific biological signals with minimal non-specific binding. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable lacuna of information to solve the issues related to suitable synthesis route, particle size reduction, functionalization, sensitivity towards targeted intercellular biological tiny particles, and lower signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore it allows exploring unique characteristics of FMNPs to design a suitable sensing device for intracellular measurements and diseases detection. This review focuses on the extensively used synthesis routes, their advantages and limitations, crystalline structure, functionalization, along with recent applications of FMNPs in biosensors, taking into consideration their analytical figures of merit and range of linearity. This work also addresses the current progress, key factors for sensitivity, selectivity and productivity improvement along with the challenges, future trends and perspectives of FMNPs based biosensors.

The poor solubility and related low bioavailability are a major concern for a large number of small molecule drugs, both on the market and in development. Several formulation strategies exist to overcome this issue. Among them, particle engineering is of outmost importance. The aim of this work is to present the potential of Spray Flash Evaporation (SFE), a new technology for drug particle engineering. To assess the potential of SFE, we carried out a case study on the nano-crystallization of furosemide, a BCS class IV drug. A thorough characterization of the obtained nanocrystals is presented along with a study of dissolution which highlights the solubility improvement provided by nanocrystals produced via SFE technology. The obtained results show a particle size reduction when compared to the raw material, as well as an increase of the dissolution rate of 4.5-fold.

Recently, the intensified vibratory milling (IVM) has emerged as a viable milling technology known for its nanosizing and high-throughput potential. The extent of the heat generation is ambiguously discussed within the literature. For this reason, the impact of formulation and process parameters for both particle size reduction and heat generation, needs further investigation to develop robust processes using the IVM technology. For this reason, the impact on particle size and heat generation of three different process parameters: - bead-suspension ratio; milling time; and acceleration - as well as one formulation parameter - API concentration - was investigated by a one-variable-at-a-time approach. Further the effect of additional fixtures on the heat generation was noted. The data obtained in this work showed that if the impact on heat generation was taken into account, the process parameters could be fine-tuned to optimize the nano-sizing potential while containing a continuous milling process. A longer milling time and production of highly concentrated formulations were proposed as gentle optimisation steps for the herein presented comminution process. ispartof: International Journal Of Pharmaceutics vol:587 pages:119644-119644 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

To explore alternative and sustainable feedstock production for metal additive manufacturing, stainless steel powders were fabricated from recycled machining chips by ball milling. To achieve the desirable powder characteristics for additive manufacturing, the effect of ball size on the powder morphology change and particle size reduction was investigated through both theoretical analysis on the maximum deformation depth in the powder during ball milling and extensive experimental work. The modeling results suggest that large balls (diameter = 20 mm) efficiently break up machining chips to coarse powder particles while small balls (diameter = 6 mm) effectively modify the powder morphology to near-spherical. Therefore, a two-stage ball milling approach, i.e., using large balls at the initial stage of milling followed by a second stage of milling with small balls, was proposed in experiments and successfully converted machining chips to powders with near-spherical shape and particle sizes ranged from 38 to 150 μm. In addition, the nanoindentation hardness of the ball milled powder created from machining chips is 56% higher than the gas atomized powder. To verify the usability of the ball milled powder created from recycled machining chips in additive manufacturing, single tracks have been successfully deposited via laser engineered net shaping.

Punch sticking during tablet manufacturing is a common problem facing the pharmaceutical industry. Using several model compounds, effects of crystal size and shape of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) on punch sticking propensity were systematically investigated in this work to provide molecular insights into the punch-sticking phenomenon. In contrast to the common belief that smaller API particles aggravate punch sticking, results show that particle size reduction can either reduce or enhance API punch sticking, depending on the complex interplay among the particle surface area, plasticity, cohesive strength, and specific surface functional groups. Therefore, other factors, such as crystal mechanical properties, surface chemistry of crystal facets exposed to the punch face, and choice of excipients in a formulation, should be considered for a more reliable prediction of the initiation and progression of punch sticking. The exposure of strong electronegative groups to the punch face facilitates the onset of sticking, while higher plasticity and cohesive strength aggravate sticking.

Chewing food prepares it for safe swallowing which, by reducing particle size and exposing new surface and blending it with saliva, benefits both digestion and the sensory experience of consumers, the latter through flavour and aroma release and textural changes. A multitude of rate processes are at play and it is the role of feed technologists to enhance their outcomes. Particle size reduction is due to subsequent selection and breakage in each chewing cycle. To develop a model based on mechanistic principles for predicting the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of solid food bolus during chewing, it was examined which existing mathematical descriptions for selection and breakage that are most suitable for an integrated model. The application of the model is demonstrated by using peanuts as a working example.

Applying DEM to prediction of tumbling mill performance is challenging because several different modes of breakage are active in the process. Here we use measured data from a well characterised ore in a well instrumented, 1.2 m diameter pilot scale mill to validate direct DEM prediction of particle size reduction. The key comminution mechanisms involved for a SAG mill are: (1) incremental breakage where parent particles break into progeny based on the cumulative energy absorption above the elastic damage threshold, (2) abrasion, and (3) chipping/rounding due to preferential contact and breakage of corners and edges of non-round particles. In this paper, a method for including incremental damage breakage in DEM is presented. The inclusion of all the size reduction mechanisms in the same DEM framework allows direct prediction of the evolution of the resident rock particle size and shape distributions and the product throughput rate. The surface mass loss mechanisms are shown to be critical for reducing the particle size to the point where the accumulation of incremental damage becomes significant leading to body breakage of these damaged particles. The energy split between ball and rock is also important for exceeding the elastic threshold and creating damage. Comparison of the predicted particle sizes at the completion of ten minutes of grinding operation with the measured experimental values from the pilot mill provides quantitative validation of the breakage predictions of this DEM breakage model.

Stimuli-triggered targeting of drug delivery systems can both increase the therapeutic efficacy and lower toxicity by selectively delivering drugs at target sites with high specificity and efficiency. Light is a convenient and powerful stimulus for use in such drug delivery systems because it is readily available and noninvasive and offers excellent spatiotemporal control. The power and wavelength of light can be finely tuned for different photoresponsive systems to achieve efficient targeting at the tissue, cellular, or subcellular levels. Here, we have reviewed the various mechanisms for phototriggered targeting (phototargeting) of drug nanocarriers. We have discussed the three main phototargeting strategies: (1) targeting ligand activation; (2) particle size reduction; and (3) blood vessel disruption.

Asphaltenes from three crudes were precipitated with a mixture of n-heptane and toluene, the size of the particles formed under different solvent mixtures and different agitation regimes were studi...

This study investigates the effect of the physical presence and water binding of wheat bran during bread making, and the possible mechanisms behind this effect. Regular bran, pericarp-enriched bran and synthetic bran-like particles with different water binding capacities and particle sizes were used. Incorporation of regular and pericarp-enriched bran in dough (15% dm) led to a lower oven rise than the control dough. Bread volumes decreased with 11% and 30%, respectively. Dough with synthetic bran, having a low water binding capacity, displayed a near to normal leavening and oven rise and resulted in a bread volume decrease of only 5% compared to the control. Particle size reduction of regular bran and synthetic bran to an average size of 200 µm did not affect final bread quality. Results indicate that water binding by bran affects bread quality the most, whereas steric hindrance by physical presence of bran particles is less determinative.

Milling is an important secondary processing technique in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, primarily used as a particle size reduction process. p-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA), m-aminobenzoic acid (MABA), o-aminobenzoic acid (OABA), and carbamazepine (CBZ) are pharmaceutically relevant compounds that can exist in different polymorphic forms with distinct packing motifs and thus different physicochemical properties. A comprehensive study of the effect of milling on the polymorphism of PABA, MABA, OABA, and CBZ was carried out. Milling of PABA in the presence of catalytic amounts of valeric acid or methanol yielded the β polymorph, which is otherwise difficult to obtain in bulk quantities. Milling also proved to be a more convenient method for producing MABA form IV compared with previously reported procedures. Principal component analysis of the pair distribution function-transformed X-ray powder diffraction spectra of ball-milled CBZ samples showed that the milling-induced polymorphic transformation strongly depends on the ball-to-powder ratio. Elusive CBZ form IV could be obtained in pure form by optimizing the milling conditions. This work was supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant [12/RC/2275] as part of the Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC). The Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) is thanked for the provision of computational resources to Project ngche046c. peer-reviewed 2019-06-07

Li2FeSiO4 is an important alternative cathode material for the next generation Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity (330 mA h/g). However, its development has faced great challenges arising from its structural complexity and its poor ionic conductivity. In the present study, the energetics of surface structures and nano particles of the Pmn21 polymorph of Li2FeSiO4 are studied by means of first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The present study demonstrates that, by tailoring the particle size of the Li2FeSiO4, one can increase the diffusion coefficient above 10−8 cm2/s, which is comparable to the the typical one reported for the current generation state-of-the-art material.

Liposomal amphotericin B were prepared by thin film hydration technique. Particle size was reduced by ultrasonic device and high-pressure homogeneous device. The size distribution was determined by dynamic light scattering by the Zetasizer ZS90 equipment. The morphology of amphotericin B liposomes was observed by Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) with negative staining technique. The result shows that combining high-pressure homogenization and membrane extrusion provided monolayer liposomal amphotericin B with the particle size less than 200 nm and homogeneously (PDI < 0.3).

The attainable region (AR) is an optimization method adopted for use in comminution to achieve different objective functions, which all converge to optimising the production of the desired particle size distributions for downstream processes. The technique has so far mostly been used to optimise the breakage of particles in tumbling mills. It achieved the desired purpose by unveiling all possible outcomes derived from a combination of operational parameters that are bound by trajectories showing the limitations of a system. The technique has given the scientific community lenses to see the behaviour of different parameters in ball mills otherwise known as the black boxes due to their concealing nature. Since its inception, the AR technique has been applied to data obtained from the laboratory tests and simulated industrial mills and the results sometimes contradict or confirm the conventional milling practices in the industry. This makes the already conservative mining industry sceptical about its adoption. This review thus assesses the milestone covered as far as the AR development in comminution is concerned. It also helps to clarify the sources of the discrepancies between the AR results and the conventional knowledge concerning the optimisation of ball mill operational parameters.

Given the geographical imbalance distribution and supply shortage of rare earth elements (REEs) in renewable energy processes, magnets, many high-tech technologies, etc., researchers are increasingly seeking to recover REEs from unconventional sources such as coal and coal by-products. This article provides a brief overview of the REEs mode of occurrence and its association in coal. It also discusses existing and potential beneficiation strategies for enriching REEs from coal and coal discard. Furthermore, the hydrometallurgical leaching of REEs from coal and coal discard is reviewed and a summary of recent outcomes on REEs recovery from the coal source is presented. The review validated the technical feasibility of the physical beneficiation of REE minerals from coal without a significant particle size reduction to produce high-grade REE feedstocks for leaching. Although ultrafine milling results in higher REE recovery values, additional milling costs may affect the viability of the process. Overall, the study confirms the abundance of REEs in coal, identifies gaps in knowledge, and highlighs future research that must be addressed to advance REEs recovery from these sources.

The aim of this work was to study the effects of multiple micro wet milling (MWM) parameters on particle size reduction and phosphatidic acid (PA) content enrichment of Komatsuna juice. Through an investigation of MWM milling characteristics for Komatsuna juice with different milling conditions, the results showed that milling time, milling rotational speed, gap size, material feeding rate, and interactions among the milling parameters had different significant effects on reduction in particle size. Furthermore, reduction in particle size strongly promoted the increase of PA content in the milled Komatsuna juice, which could improve the bioaccessibility of PA that converts to lysophosphatidic acid in the GI tract for the restoration of GI disorders. The MWM system was able to produce Komatsuna juice with a smaller particle size (approximately 21 μm) and a higher PA content (approximately 70 μg/mL) in a continuous processing system compared to an ordinary grinding mixer.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Pretreatment of cotton and linen powders with two ultrasonic devices was tested. • The individual contribution of ultrasound to the enzymatic digestion was evaluated. • Enrichment of the smallest particles with increased accessibility was observed. • The enzyme preferably digested the small particles resulting in a high sugar yield. • The new particle size distribution curves shifted towards the larger size regions., The contribution of ultrasound-aided particle size reduction to the efficiency of the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and the accompanying morphological changes of bleached cotton and linen powders were investigated. The aqueous suspensions of cellulosic powders were pretreated either with an ultrasonic bath (US-B) or with a horn-type reactor (US-H). Results revealed that the impact of US-H was more pronounced than that of the US-B. Clearly, the linen particles were more sensitive to ultrasonication than cotton. The US-H modified the particle size distribution differently for the cotton and linen powders and reduced the mean size of particles from 49 to 40 µm and from 123 to 63 µm, respectively. A significant increase in the water retention and water sorption capacity was also measured. The smaller particles with increased accessibility were preferably digested in the enzyme treatment, resulting in a considerably higher concentration of reducing sugars and an enrichment of the residual particles with a larger average size (cotton: 47 µm; linen: 66 µm).

Food oral processing research has attracted a great deal of attention in the last few decades owing to its paramount importance in governing sensory appreciation and pleasurable experience of consuming foods and beverages and eventually regulating nutrient intake. A range of physiologically-controlled unit operations from first bite, to particle size reduction, mastication with saliva, bolus formation, swallowing to generation of oral residues occur during oral processing of solid foods across a range of time and length scales resulting in various physical, biochemical and psychological consequences. Tribology is the study of friction and lubrication, and it has emerged as a key tool to deconvolute these complex processes and provide insights into the physics of oral processing and sensory perception. This review provides an overview of “oral” tribology including experiments in the last decade on food colloids and lubrication theories, and highlights a perspective on how the field is evolving to address various food science challenges. This includes current and forecast future applications of tribology in designing healthier foods, creating sustainable alternatives without compromising mouthfeel, tackling food counterfeiting and tailoring foods for aging populations. We also examine a suite of advanced complementary techniques such as imaging, scattering, and adsorption using specific examples from allied fields that would be useful to uncover frictional dissipation in food systems in the future. The perspectives provided in this review thus represent an exciting glimpse of what tribology can offer, which may become a routine and integral step in food colloidal design in the future.

Tumbling ball mills are a common comminution device in the mineral industry processing, wherein the particle size reduction is performed by action of the grinding media. Different forms of transverse motion in a rotating cylinder have been studied by many researchers. The aim of this paper was to study the transitional phenomena between cascading, cataracting and centrifuging motion. In order to observe these transitions, experiments were carried out in a tumbling mill of 300 mm diameter, and three sizes of chrome steel balls were used as grinding media. Each size of ball was employed in three different lengths of the mill with the purpose to investigate the end-walls effect in the behavior ball charge. The image analysis technique was employed to identify the transition regions. A high-speed camera with maximum speed of 2000 frames/s was used to record images. Experimental data showed it was not found the end-wall effects on the transitional behavior, and this effect can be assessed in numerical studies by analyze of the specularity coefficient.

Colloid mill attrition can remove the oxidized layer from oxidized coal surface. The effects of colloid mill gap space and milled pulp density were investigated according to the flotation response. It was found that both particle size reduction and flotation recovery enhancement were higher at higher pulp density and smaller gap space. When colloid mill worked at higher pulp density and smaller gap space, oxidized layers of coal particles could be removed more thoroughly. In addition, the greater reduction in particle size at higher pulp density and smaller gap space should be conductive to the flotation of oxidized coal because large particle size of oxidized coal is considered not suitable for its flotation. Because colloid mill was successfully applied in improving oxidized coal flotation, the results of this paper will promote the industrial application of colloid mill into effective flotation of oxidized coal in coal preparation plants.

Horses achieve a higher degree of particle size reduction through ingestive mastication than functional ruminants. We characterized mastication using chew-monitoring halters (RumiWatch) in six domestic horses, cattle, and Bactrian camels each. All animals were offered grass hay of the same batch for 15 min. In cattle and camels, measurements were continued after eating until rumination was observed. Except for one horse, 96% of the horses' ingestive mastication data were identified as "rumination" by the proprietary RumiWatch algorithm, whereas ingestion and rumination by cattle and camels were mostly classified correctly. There were no systematic differences between cattle and camels. In cattle and camels, ingestive mastication was less regular than rumination, indicated by significantly higher standard deviations of chewing peak intervals, peak heights, and peak breadths in intraindividual comparisons. The average standard deviations of these measures were lower in horses than in cattle and camel ingestive mastication, indicating a more consistent chewing pattern in horses. Horse values were similar to those of rumination mastication, suggesting equally regular chewing motions. Regular, rhythmic chewing represents a common feature of horses and functional ruminants, but the less uniform ingestive mastication in functional ruminants represents a deviating pattern, the adaptive value of which remains unclear. In particular, it does not appear to promote a higher ingestion rate. A potential cause may be the avoidance of high tooth wear rates by delaying a more regular, systematic mastication until ingesta has been softened and the grit has been washed off in the forestomach.

[EN] This work is conceived to provide a reproducible and fast method to obtain optimal particle sizes for competitive ultrasoft magnetic applications based on FeSiCuNbB-nanostructured particles. In this scenario, partial nanocrystallization of the α-FeSi compound is promoted by annealing and subsequent high-energy ball milling processes. The milling is performed in this material, for the first time, by a combination of mixer, vibratory, and planetary ball milling motions. Under these conditions, structural and magnetic properties are tuned as a function of milling time with reduced particle size distributions and maintaining the ultrasoft magnetic character. In addition, drastic electronic and structural changes are observed after a few minutes of milling where saturation magnetization and initial permeability are strongly influenced by the percentage of the α-FeSi nanocrystallites formed. Above 30 min of ball milling, the formation of a low concentration of NbO clusters is detected by confocal Raman microscopy. This identification is essential because the rejection of Nb from the amorphous matrix rich in Fe−Nb−B atoms acts as a marker of the seed mechanism that causes the deterioration of the softness character of these nanostructures. Therefore, on the one hand, this work introduces a successful procedure by combined milling processes to optimize the saturation magnetization and permeability with submicron particle sizes and, on the other hand, the detection of NbO clusters is implemented as an influential marker on the magnetic properties of these soft nanostructured particles., The authors acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Economy, and Competitiveness for financing the project MAT2015-65445-C2-1-R, MAT2017-86450-C4-1-R, MAT2015-67557-C2-1-P, the Comunidad de Madrid by S2013/MIT-2850 NANOFRONTMAG, and the European Commission under H2020 frame by AMPHIBIAN project ID: 720853. The authors are also grateful for the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) under Grant no. PIE 2010-6OE-013. A.S. acknowledges the financial support from the Comunidad de Madrid for an “Atracción de Talento Investigador” contract (no. 2017-t2/IND5395). C.G.-M. and A.Q. acknowledges the financial support from MICINN through the “Juan de la Cierva” Program (FJC2018-035532-I) and through the Ramón y Cajal Contract RYC-2017-23320.