solventimprégnation

Solvent impregnation is a process used to introduce a liquid solvent into a porous solid material. This is often done to dissolve or extract specific components from the solid, or to prepare the solid for subsequent treatments. The solvent penetrates the pores of the solid due to capillary action and diffusion. The efficiency of the impregnation depends on factors such as the viscosity of the solvent, the pore size and structure of the solid, temperature, and contact time.

This technique finds application in various fields. In the pharmaceutical industry, it can be used to load active pharmaceutical ingredients into porous carriers for controlled drug release. In materials science, solvent impregnation is employed to create composite materials by filling the pores of a substrate with a desired substance. For example, it can be used to impregnate porous ceramics with polymers or metals. It is also utilized in the extraction of valuable compounds from natural products, where the solvent dissolves and separates the target substances from the plant or animal matrix. The removal of the solvent after impregnation, often through evaporation or drying, leaves the desired substance within the solid structure or as a new coating. Careful control of the impregnation parameters is crucial to ensure uniform distribution of the solvent and to achieve the desired properties in the final product.