IMPROVED PROCEDURES FOR SEPARATING CRYSTALS FROM THE MELT

Innovative separation techniques like melt crystallization have the po tential to fulfil two important demands, namely: a significant reducti on of energy consumption by the chemical industry, and the production of high quality products required by industry. Several industrial appl ications of melt crystallization have been realized but industry is st ill hesitating to fully commit its resources. One of the most importan t reasons is that the most promising application of melt crystallizati on. the suspension-based melt crystallization process: is still under development. For this reason this study had the objective to improve e quipment design and to establish optimal process conditions for the se paration of crystals From the melt. this being the essential step in c rystallization from suspension. The ultimate sin: of the study was to rest a pilot-plant for the application of melt crystallization to an i ndustrial problem. In this paper, background information on melt cryst allization processes and possible solid-liquid separation techniques w ill be given. The content of the study is briefly discussed and experi mental results are given. (C) European Communities 1997. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.