The reasons for microencapsulation are countless as described by John Franjione, Ph.D., and Niraj Vasishtha, Ph.D :  "Microencapsulation is like the work of a clothing designer. He selects the pattern, cuts the cloth, and sews the garment in due consideration of the desires and age of his customer, plus the locale and climate where the garment is to be worn. By analogy, in microencapsulation, capsules are designed and prepared to meet all the requirements in due consideration of the properties of the core material, intended use of the product, and the environment of storage"

In some cases, the core must be isolated from its surroundings, as in isolating vitamins from the deteriorating effects of oxygen, light, heat & retarding evaporation of a volatile core, improving the handling properties of a sticky material, or isolating a reactive core from chemical attack. Which means that Microencapsulation is good for entrapping material to immobilize it, protect it, release it and structure it.

Many industrial applications utilize microencapsulation: