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Crystallizers

The document discusses different types of crystallizers used in industry including forced circulation, draft tube baffle, surface cooled, batch vacuum, and scraped surface crystallizers. It provides details on their operating principles, advantages, and disadvantages as well as example applications.

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251 views5 pages

Crystallizers

The document discusses different types of crystallizers used in industry including forced circulation, draft tube baffle, surface cooled, batch vacuum, and scraped surface crystallizers. It provides details on their operating principles, advantages, and disadvantages as well as example applications.

Uploaded by

SharissePapas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CRYSTALLIZERS

Crystallization is a chemical solid-liquid separation technique, in which mass transfer of a solute


from the liquid solution to a pure solid. It’s a spontaneous arrangement of the particle into a repetitive order
(i.e a solid particle of regular geometric patterns / a crystal).

Crystallizers are used in industry to achieve liquid-solid separation. They are an important piece of
chemical processing equipment because they are capable of generating high purity products with a relatively
low energy input.
Types of Crystallizers
1.) Forced-circulation crystallizers
Forced-circulation crystallization is the most widely used crystallization method in industry. They are
evaporative crystallizers and create a super-saturated solution by evaporating the solvent of a saturated
solution. The solute of this supersaturated solution then cools, forming crystals. These types of crystallizers
are classified as mixed-suspension, mixed-product-removal (MSMPR) crystallizers. The key assumption of
an MSMPR crystallizer is that the slurry is perfectly mixed and uniform throughout the system. These forced-
circulation crystallizers are commonly used to produce salts and chemicals in industry.
The feed slurry is first heated in a heat exchanger, then pumped to the main body of the crystallizer.
Vaporization occurs at the top surface of the slurry, while nucleation occurs near the bottom of the crystallizer
body. The crystals are removed and vaporized solvent is condensed and returned to the crystallizer body.
(Copyright Swenson Process Equipment, Inc., Harvey, IL)

There are several adaptations that can be added to a forced-circulation crystallizer to help narrow
the crystal size distribution. Options include baffling, a conical entrance, and an elutriation step. A conical
entrance promotes more thorough mixing, which creates a more uniform slurry mixture. Baffling is used to
remove fines from the mixture, so that they can be recirculated for further growth. Elutriation, like baffling,
removes smaller particles from the slurry, except elutriation separates particles based on weight rather than
size. Elutriation is the process of flowing air over particles. Lighter particles are picked up by the air stream,
while heavier ones remain in place.

Advantages Disadvantages
 Least expensive type of crystallizer  Crystal size difficult to control
 Large range of sizes available
 High rate of circulation reduces particle
deposits on vessel walls

2.) Draft tube baffle crystallizers


Draft tube baffle crystallizers (DTB) are used to control crystal size and characteristics. They are
used in applications in which excessive nucleation occurs. Small, unwanted crystals, called fines, are
removed from larger particles using gravitational settling and recycled through the crystallizer again, resulting
in maximum crystal recovery and larger crystals.
DTB crystallizers have two distinct volumes. In the baffled region gravitational settling separates
larger crystals from fines. The larger crystals settle between the baffle and draft tube, and are removed in the
product slurry, while the fines are recirculated after being redissolved in a heat exchanger. The evaporated
solvent is then condensed, cooled, and returned to the region of active crystallization.
(Copyright Swenson Process Equipment, Inc., Harvey, IL)

DTB crystallizers typically have circulation rates of 1 to 4 times/min and a total residence time of 4 to 6 hours.

In the industry, DTB crystallizers are also used for the purification of organic compounds as well as the
production of salts

Advantages Disadvantages
 Crystal size easy to control  Frequent flushings required to minimize
 Economic due to recyclability of fines deposits on the crystallizer wall
 More energy efficient than forced-  Cannot effectively handle a high density
circulation crystallizers slurry

3.) Surface-cooled crystallizers


Surface-cooled crystallizers combine a draft tube baffle crystallizer body with a heat exchanger. Slurry is
drawn from the crystallizer body and then cooled before being pumped back into the crystallizer body.

Crystallizers such as these are the most useful for operations in which the solution's boiling point is
extremely high, or when such low temperatures are required that evaporation by vacuum is not possible.

(Copyright Swenson Process Equipment, Inc., Harvey, IL)

Surface-cooled crystallizers are used to produce sodium chloride from caustic solutions, sodium
carbonate decahydrate from waste solutions, and sodium chlorate from sodium chloride saturated solutions.

4.) Batch Vacuum crystallizers


Vacuum crystallizers use a condenser with a booster to maintain a vacuum inside the crystallizer body.
This vacuum makes it possible to generate a supersaturated solution when very low operating temperatures
are needed. Vacuum crystallizers may be continuous or batch. The batch vacuum crystallizer is particularly
useful when processing materials that tend to grow on the walls of continuous crystallization equipment.
Some found uses of vacuum crystallizers are that to produce Glauber's Salt at a mineral plant.
(Copyright Swenson Process Equipment, Inc., Harvey, IL)

5.) Scraped surface crystallizers


Scraped surface crystallizers are used as low energy, low cost means of crystallization for small scale
operations. They are used primarily for the crystallization of melts.

A scraped surface crystallizer consists of a jacketed pipe in which a cooling medium between the pipe
wall and the jacket remove heat from the slurry, causing crystallization. Inside the pipe, large scrapers wipe
the solid deposits from the wall to prevent build up. Scraped surface crystallizers are often grouped together
in assemblies.

(Copyright Armstrong Chemtec Group, West Chester, PA)


Seller

Forced Circulation Evaporation Crystallizer for Ammonium Chloride

Min. Order / Reference FOB Price


1 Piece US $30,000/ Piece

Basic Info

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