Fundamentals of industrial crystallization

Industrial crystallization processes aim at the large-scale production of crystalline products through the formation of involving a suspension of growing particles in a solution. The product quality is defined by the kind of crystalline phase produced, the crystal size distribution, the crystal morphology, and the product purity. These product quality aspects are determined by the subprocesses of crystallization of which crystal nucleation and growth are usually of main importance. The driving force for these subprocesses is usually established either by evaporating solvent to increase the concentration or cooling the solution to decrease the solubility. The recent pharmaceutical research interest in continuous crystallization processes is fortified by claims of improved product quality, efficient use of materials and energy resources, and waste stream reductions.