Patent ID: 8628802

Claim:
A process for the continuous treatment, in a packed column, of an emulsion and/or a micro-emulsion comprising the following steps: a) forming an expanded liquid by mixing one or more organic solvents and a compressed gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, trifluoromethane and propane, in a mixer at operating conditions of pressure between 40 and 400 bar and temperature between 30° C. and 100° C. with a compressed gas content between 0.5% and 40% by weight; b) combining an oil-in-water (0/W) emulsion, or alternatively a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion, said emulsion comprising one or more active ingredients, with a dispersant phase that is itself an expanded liquid, in a mixer at operating conditions between 40 and 400 bar and 30° C. and 100° C., with a compressed gas content between 0.5% and 40% by weight to form an expanded emulsion; c) forming an expanded suspension of micro- and/or nano-particles and/or microspheres with an average size between 0.1-300 μm by treatment of the expanded emulsion with said expanded liquid, wherein the particles produced do not generate any column blockage; d1) collecting the suspension obtained from the step c), wherein the suspension contains the nano- and/or micro-particles and/or polymeric micro-spheres loaded with said one or more active ingredients.