About Formulation Engineering
At the Centre for Formulation Engineering we are developing solutions to problems facing industries in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, fast moving consumer goods and speciality products sectors. This is vital to many issues affecting our quality of life; such as better economical processes to reduce the environmental burden, and longer lasting food due to the right combination of chemistry, ingredients and processes.
What is formulation engineering?
Formulation Engineering concerns the design, manufacture, and use of products structured to create desirable effects when consumed or used. Examples include foods, pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods such as cleaners, and speciality products such as paints, catalysts, detergents, and agrochemicals.
At the Centre for Formulation Engineering, our research focuses on the principles that control the quality of many personal products, such as cosmetics and detergents, foods such as chocolate and low-fat spreads, and fuel cells and catalysts. These products are all structured on a microscale, and their microstructure controls their behaviour. For example, the texture of food as it breaks down in the mouth, the release of detergent or a drug as a tablet breaks down in the washing machine or in the stomach.
At the Centre for Formulation Engineering, we specialise in:
Bioprocess Engineering
Living cells are used to produce a range of products, the large-scale manufacture which requires specialist biotechnological processes.
Food, Nutrition and Microstructure Engineering
Foods should be safe, optimised for health benefits, and enjoyable to prepare and eat. Yet, a number of these criteria are conflicting.
Particle and Multiphase Process
Formulated liquid products are often multiphase, containing particles, drops or bubbles which critically affect product performance.