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Virginia Tech

Microwave freeze-drying of aqueous solutions

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The freeze-drying process has been plagued with problems, such as long drying times and inefficiency. Microwave freeze-drying has proven its potential as way of reducing long drying times associated with freeze-drying, and as a result, there has been a considerable amount of work done to increase its use in industrial applications. However, it is not widely utilized for drying of pharmaceuticals, which appear to be better suited to microwave freeze-drying than foods. This paper discusses the results of applying microwave freeze-drying to an aqueous solution, as well as how various freezing rates affect freeze-drying characteristics. Results show that microwave freeze-drying can greatly reduce the time required to freeze-dry an aqueous solution while maintaining a high product quality. The investigation into the effects of different freezing conditions shows that different physical characteristics in the dried product can be achieved through varying the freezing rate.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Mechanical Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1994

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Dolan, James P.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Scott, Elaine P.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Thomas, James R. Jr.
  • Thomas, William C.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-12052009-020317
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/46161

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Dolan, James P.. Microwave freeze-drying of aqueous solutions. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/46161