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The aim of this study was to characterize the process of atomization and drying of layer-by-layer emulsions containing lecithin (single layer emulsion) and lecithin/chitosan (bilayer emulsion) and the oxidative stability of the microcapsules during storage. For this purpose, the analysis of the emulsion spray droplet size during two-fluid nozzle and rotary atomization was carried out to identify suitable process parameters. The drying behaviour of single and bilayer emulsions was investigated by calculation of the volume flow density during single-droplet drying during acoustic levitation. In spray-dried solid particles, the oxidative stability in the single layer microcapsules was higher than in the bilayer microcapsules. This was partly attributed to lower microencapsulation efficiency in the bilayer microcapsules compared to the single layer microcapsules. Furthermore, it could be shown, that excess chitosan in the bulk carrier matrix affects the free volume elements and thus oxygen diffusion.

Summary: Acoustic levitation was investigated as a model for spray processes. The influence of different parameters on the drying process of aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solutions was studied and compared to the evaporation of water. The adequacy of acoustic levitation as model for spray processes was demonstrated. Experiments with water and aqueous PVP solutions indicated no dependency of the droplet size on the drying process for droplets with a diameter between 300 mm and 1.5 mm. Particles dried in an acoustic levitator displayed good accordance of morphology with those obtained in a spray tower. Surprisingly the addition of PVP to water resulted in faster evaporation of the solvent. Mathematical models of single droplets within a spray process typically refer to spherically symmetric droplet geometries. The simulation of other morphologies and their evolution throughout the process is still very challenging. A new drying model based on a fully threedimensional meshfree approach is under development and shows good agreement to basic established models regarding the drying of a single droplet.