Freeze-drying is an important preservation technique for heat-sensitive pharmaceuticals and foods. Products are first frozen, then dried in a vacuum at low temperature by sublimation and desorption, rather than by the application of heat. The resulting items can be stored at room temperature for long periods. This informative text addresses both principles and practice in this area. The first chapter introduces freeze-drying. The authors then review the fundamentals of the technique, heat-mass transfer analyses, modelling of the drying process and the equipment employed. Further chapters focus on freeze-drying of food, freeze-drying of pharmaceuticals and the protective agents and additives applied. The final chapter covers the important subjects of disinfection, sterilization and process validation. Freeze-drying of pharmaceutical and food products is an essential reference for food, pharmaceutical and refrigeration engineers and scientists with an interest in preservation techniques. It will also be of use to students in these fields.

"Refrigeration Technology" introduces the fundamentals of refrigeration technology, the development of the technology in the past 20 years and the current status. The book is divided into 4 parts containing 13 chapters. The first part includes the introduction of the category, applications, history and development of refrigeration and the academic organizations and journals in this field. The second part of the book covers the fundamental aspects of refrigeration technologies, various methods of decreasing temperature, thermodynamic analyses of refrigeration cycles, the gas refrigeration systems and mechanically or thermally driven vapour compression refrigeration systems. The third part discusses the working substances of refrigeration including the requirements for refrigeration systems and their properties. This part also discusses some environmental issues relating to the refrigeration systems such as the mechanism and degree of ozone layer depletion and greenhouse effect. This part ends with a discussion of properties of moist air for air-conditioning. The fourth part focuses on the components and equipment such as compressors, condensers and evaporators in refrigeration systems. This book will be useful for both university students and the professionals working in the field of refrigeration.