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Freeze-Drying FlowersFlowers symbolize the most important events in our lives. We receive a
dozen red roses that say “I Love Youâ€, a stunning bouquet on our
wedding, gifts for our anniversaries birthdays, graduations---the list
is endless. Of course, we want to preserve happy memories forever, if
possible. We can take pictures of the flowers but that isn't as good as
the real thing, is it? Some of us resort to the old practice of putting
flowers between the pages of thick and heavy books to preserve them.
The flowers come out dry and flat. While this is better than nothing,
we can't help but wish that flowers don't wilt and decay so that we can
keep them forever as mementos of that special time in our lives. Well,
wish no more! We live in the 21st century when technology solves almost
anything. Now, there's no need to settle for dry, brittle flowers kept
between the pages of a book or dried in the sun. A technology called
freeze-drying can preserve your flowers exactly the way they look like
for very long periods of time. Freeze-drying is said to have first
originated from the Indians living in the Andes Mountain is the 1700's.
Its modern version, however, was introduced in 1813 by William Hyde
Wallaston to the Royal Society in London. Back then, it was a procedure
simply known as sublimation, or the conversion of liquid in a frozen
state directly to a gaseous one.The freeze-drying process makes
use of a freeze-drying machine for flowers. Using sublimation, the
moisture in the flowers is completely removed. The pressure in the
chamber is reduced by creating a vacuum wherein the boiling point of
water is below its freezing point. Electromagnetic radiation is applied
on the flowers so that the water in its tissues will not evaporate.
This way, the tissues won't shrink, preserving the exact appearance of
the flowers. After the process, a polymer coating is applied on the
flowers in order to prevent shattering and to stop moisture from being
absorbed in the tissues again. If the colors of the blooms fade, they
can be painted back on.Freeze-drying is the most expensive way
to preserve flowers. In tropical countries such as the Philippines,
freeze-dried flowers require high maintenance because of the tropical
climate when the moisture content can reach up to 99%. However,
freeze-drying is the only way to keep your flowers exactly how they
look like for a long time. The technology might be expensive, but the
results are rewarding. Imagine seeing your wedding bouquet everyday and
remembering that heart-stopping moment when you said “I Doâ€. It
would definitely be worth the price. |
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