Freeze-drying is the removal of ice or other frozen solvents froma material through the process of sublimation and the removal ofbound water molecules through the process of desorption.
Lyophilization and freeze-drying are terms that are usedinterchangeably depending on the industry and location wherethe drying is taking place. Controlled freeze-drying keeps the product temperature low enough during the process to avoidchanges in the dried product appearance and characteristics.
It is an excellent method for preserving a wide variety of heat sensitive materials such as proteins, microbes, pharmaceuticals,tissues & plasma.