Determination of microcapsule physicochemical, structural, and mechanical properties

• The state-of-art experimental techniques for analyzing properties of microcapsules were reviewed.
• Microcapsule physicochemical, structural, mechanical properties, and their relations were studied.
• Examples of characterizing microcapsule properties for industrial applications were provided.
• New techniques from other areas which may be used to characterize microcapsules were identified.

Research into the fundamental properties of microcapsules and use of the results to develop a wide variety of products in industries such as printing, fast-moving consumer goods, construction, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals is a dynamic and ever-progressing field of study. For microcapsules to be effective in providing protection from harsh environments or delivering large payloads, it is essential to have a good understanding of their properties to enable quality control during formulation, storage, and applications. This review aims to outline the commonly used techniques for determining the physicochemical, structural, and mechanical properties of microcapsules, and highlights the interlinked nature of these three areas with respect to the end-use industrial application. This review provides information on techniques that are well supported in the literature, and also examines microcapsule analytical techniques that will become more prevalent as a result of new technological developments or extensions from other areas of study.

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