Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure, allowing the ice to be removed by sublimation. This is in contrast to most conventional dehydration methods, which use heat to evaporate water.
Because of the low processing temperature, the rehydrated product retains many of its original qualities. When solid objects, such as strawberries, are freeze dried, the original shape of the product is preserved. If the product to be dried is a liquid, as is common in pharmaceutical applications, the final product's properties are optimised by the combination of excipients (i.e., inactive ingredients). The primary applications of Freeze Drying Equipment include biological (e.g., bacteria and yeasts), biomedical (e.g., surgical transplants), food processing (e.g., coffee), and preservation.
