Preparation of calcium alginate micro-gel beads using a rotating nozzle

Drops of sodium alginate solution were injected into calcium chloride solution of 10 wt% through a rotating nozzle to prepare calcium alginate micro-gel beads. We found that calcium alginate micro-gel beads of approximately uniform size could be prepared by this method. The average diameters of these calcium alginate gel beads 0.27-2.08 mm, which agreed approximately with values calculated by the estimation equation of drop diameters in the liquid-liquid system reported previously. The condition for proparing calcium alginate gel beads of uniform size was that (inside diameter of nozzle)(2) x (rotation acceleration) / (viscosity of sodium alginate solution) is approximately equal to < 4.5 x 10(-5) m(4)/(kg(.)s).