Design, Operation and Control of Crystallization Equipment

Crystallisation is a separation process used in many industrial applications, such as the pharmaceutical and food industries (sugar and salt). Modelling this process involves resolving many equations related to mass, energy, and population balance. Consequently, crystallisation process operation and equipment design are particularly critical and need a deep understanding of thermodynamics and transport phenomena.

This course builds a practical foundation in crystallisation by linking nucleation and growth kinetics to the key operating parameters—supersaturation, cooling/antisolvent rates, mixing, and residence time—that determine crystal size, purity, and morphology. Participants review various industrial crystalliser types (e.g., batch, MSMPR/continuous, cooling, evaporative, and DTB/forced-circulation) and learn about the selection and basic design criteria. The programme develops mass, energy, and population balances to describe the size and scale of crystallisers. It introduces monitoring and control methodologies (seeding strategy, PAT signals, PID/MPC) used to stabilise supersaturation and optimise crystal quality.

In this programme you will:

• Understand the basics of crystallisation kinetics
• Identify parameters involved in crystallisation process
• Understand how to optimise crystal quality
• Read about different industrial crystallisers
• Learn about the choice and design of crystallisers
• Learn how to develop mass, energy and population balance
• Learn about control methodologies used in crystallisation