Crystallization touches every aspect of our daily lives, from food and medicines to the fuel that powers our communities. The vast majority of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals undergo many crystallization steps during their development and production. Key food ingredients such as lactose and lysine are manufactured through crystallization, and unwanted crystallization of gas hydrates in deep-sea pipelines is a major safety consideration for the petrochemical industry.
In the crystallization process, we need to understand the three definitions of crystallization, crystal and precipitation, among which:
Crystallization: The process of forming a solid crystal from another form, usually a liquid solution or melt.
crystal: a solid particle of molecules, atoms, or ions arranged in some fixed and rigid repeating three-bit pattern or lattice
Precipitation: The term precipitation is difficult to define. Some believe that precipitation is simply a very rapid or uncontrolled crystallization process.
Others believe that precipitation is the formation of crystals caused by chemical reactions.
While crystals have many important properties, it is among these that the crystal size distribution can have the greatest impact on the quality and performance of the final product (and subsequent process flow). Crystal size and shape directly affect critical steps downstream of crystallization equipment, and its filtration and drying performance are highly susceptible to changes in these important attributes.
Likewise, the final crystal size can also directly affect the quality of the final product. In pharmaceutical compounds, bioavailability and efficacy are usually related to particle size, and improving its solubility and dissolution characteristics usually requires smaller particle size. The crystal size distribution can be optimized and controlled by carefully selecting the correct crystallization conditions and process parameters. Understanding how process parameters affect key transitions such as nucleation, growth, and breakage allows scientists to develop and manufacture crystals with desired properties and bring them to market efficiently.
Wuxi ZhangHua Machinery Co., Ltd. specializes in the production and sales of vacuum dryers, filter washing and drying three-in-one, washing and filtering two-in-one, crystallization equipment and liquid low-temperature vacuum dryers. Welcome to inquire: 13861731823