CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS AND PRODUCT PURITY OF ALPHA-GLUTAMIC ACID CRYSTAL

A continuous mixed-suspension mixed-product removal (CMSMPR) crystalli zer was used to study the crystallization kinetics and product purity of glutamic acid crystal in pure solution and impure solution with L-p henylanaline as the impurity. Under the assumption that the crystal gr owth rate was a function of crystal size, the population balance equat ion was solved to give the crystal growth and nucleation rates by use of the steady-state population density data. The crystal growth and nu cleation rates were suppressed by the presence of impurity. The impuri ty contents in the crystal products, which were analyzed by a HPLC pre -column method, were found to be related to crystal size, supersaturat ion, and impurity concentration of solution.