At the College de France in Paris, Jacques-Arsene d' Arsonval invented freeze-drying. Later, during World War II, it was frequently employed to preserve blood serum. It has increased in importance since then as a means of maintaining biological materials that are heat sensitive. Freeze-drying equipment is currently used to preserve foods, medications, and a range of other items. Biologics, such asinjec table medications and vaccinations, are often manufactured using freeze-drying processes. This is because the freeze-drying procedure improves the stability and shelf life of the drugs. As a result, it is gaining huge adoption among end-users. Also, as per the research report of Astute Analytica, the
Global Freeze Drying Equipment Market is expected to develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2023 to 2031.
What is the purpose of freeze-dryer equipment?
During World War II, the first notable application of freeze drying was for the transfer of penicillin, blood, and serum. Since the invention of these modern drying technologies, lyophilization technology has advanced and been employed for a wide range of uses in several industries. Many current pharmaceuticals, as well as studies in biology and the environment, make extensive use of laboratory freeze dryers.
Freeze-drying Requires Specific Equipment
Specialized equipment must use to correctly freeze-dry a sample. To catch the water vapor being released, the collector coil of the freeze drier must first be 15-20degrees colder than the freezing point of the sample. A vacuum pump with a working pressure of at least.020 m Bar is also required. A drying accessory, such as a chamber drier, manifold, or tray dryer, is also necessary, as are trays or glasses to hold people's samples. While not required, a final-point detection system helps users control the (sometimes days-long)freeze-drying process by telling them when their sample has finished drying.
Freeze-drying process stages
Pre-freezing: The pre-freezing phase of the freeze-drying technique is critical. During this phase, the sample material must be cooled to a temperature no lower than the melting point of the sample. This ensures that the sample is completely frozen and ready for sublimation. If the sample is not frozen solid, it will evaporate, preventing it from obtaining the same preservation qualities as sublimation.
Primary Drying: The primary drying process starts as soon as the freeze dryer and vacuum pump are started. The sample begins to cool evaporatively at low pressure, which releases heat energy to speed up drying. By the end of the primary drying, just over 93% of the sample's remaining water has been sublimated. Depending on the sample typeand heat input, this phase may last for several days.
SecondaryDrying:During the second drying stage, water molecules that were bound tothe specimen are freed. During this stage, further heat is added to furtherreduce excess moisture, leaving behind about 2% moisture content overall. Inorder to get samples ready for long-term storage and preservation, secondarydrying is commonly done.