Freeze-Drying Mold Structure for Uniform Polymer Ball Shrinkage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hyaluronic acid sponges exhibit asymmetric shapes due to varying shrinkage rates during freeze-drying, are difficult to separate from molds, have low strength, and often form films on surfaces, hindering their utilization.
Innovation Solution
A freeze-drying mold comprising a first mold with accommodation grooves and discharge portions, and a second mold with corresponding grooves, allowing for controlled shrinkage and easy separation of freeze-dried materials, ensuring consistent pore sizes and high strength without surface films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single mold is used for freeze-drying, then the process is simple, but the shrinkage rate varies by position causing asymmetric shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple independent mold units, each capable of maintaining uniform shrinkage rates. This segmentation allows each unit to function independently, ensuring consistent spherical shapes while simplifying the overall design compared to a complex single-mold system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses symmetric mold units arranged in a specific configuration to achieve uniform shrinkage. By designing the mold units with symmetric properties and arranging them properly, the system compensates for position-dependent variations that would otherwise cause asymmetry in the freeze-dried products.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional molds are used, then manufacturing is simple, but separation of freeze-dried materials is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mold units are designed with extraction features that allow easy removal of freeze-dried materials. The separation grooves and discharge portions enable the extracted materials to be easily taken out from the mold, solving the separation difficulty while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the material release from the mold surface, the invention inverts the approach by creating discharge portions that actively expel the materials. The separation grooves and discharge structures work in reverse to the traditional retention method, enabling easy separation without complicating the mold fabrication.
3Productivity
If conventional freeze-drying molds are used, then production is straightforward, but drying efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple mold units are merged into a single freeze-drying system, allowing simultaneous processing of multiple materials. This merging increases drying efficiency and productivity while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that integrates the individual units efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold units are designed with universal features that serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, control shrinkage, facilitate separation, and enable efficient drying. This multi-functionality increases productivity without significantly increasing device complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If uniform shrinkage is achieved, then spherical shape is maintained, but surface films form on the products
Solution Approach 1:
Separation grooves act as intermediary structures between the mold surface and the freeze-dried materials. These grooves prevent direct contact between the materials and the mold surface, eliminating the formation of surface films while maintaining uniform spherical shapes through controlled shrinkage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold design incorporates porous or grooved structures that allow vapor and moisture to escape during freeze-drying. This porous structure prevents film formation on the product surfaces while maintaining the uniform shrinkage necessary for spherical shape consistency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mold system controls shrinkage rates, enables easy separation of freeze-dried materials, maintains consistent pore sizes and distributions, and enhances drying efficiency while providing high strength and film-free surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a freeze-drying mold and a method for manufacturing water-soluble polymer balls using the same
Implementation Method 2
capable of controlling the shrinkage rate of a solution in a freeze-drying process
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of discharge portions formed on top thereof to communicate with the plurality of first accommodation grooves
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a freeze-drying mold and a method for manufacturing water-soluble polymer balls using the same, more specifically to a freeze-drying mold that is provided with a first mold having a plurality of first accommodation grooves formed on underside thereof and a plurality of discharge portions formed on top thereof to communicate with the plurality of first accommodation grooves and a second mold having a plurality of second accommodation grooves formed on top thereof to be facingly coupled to the plurality of first accommodation grooves of the first mold to thus provide a plurality of accommodation portions, and a method for manufacturing water-soluble polymer balls using the same.According to the present invention, the freeze-drying mold is capable of controlling the shrinkage rate of a solution in a freeze-drying process to make freeze-dried spherical materials, easily separating the made freeze-dried materials therefrom, and optimizing a drying efficiency thereof, and the method for manufacturing water-soluble polymer balls using the same is carried out so that the water-soluble polymer balls are constant in pore sizes and distributions, have high strength, and do not have any films on the surfaces thereof.