Volume 40, Issue 7 pp. 1300-1308
Research Article

Particle Size Control during Ultrasonic Cooling Crystallization of Paracetamol

Bjorn Gielen

Bjorn Gielen

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Lab4U, Agoralaan building B box 8, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

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Thomas Claes

Thomas Claes

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

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Jonas Janssens

Jonas Janssens

KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Lab4U, Agoralaan building B box 8, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

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Jeroen Jordens

Jeroen Jordens

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Lab4U, Agoralaan building B box 8, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

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Leen C. J. Thomassen

Leen C. J. Thomassen

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Lab4U, Agoralaan building B box 8, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

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Tom Van Gerven

Tom Van Gerven

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

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Leen Braeken

Corresponding Author

Leen Braeken

KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering Science, Lab4U, Agoralaan building B box 8, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

Correspondence: Leen Braeken ([email protected]), KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, box 2424, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 04 May 2017
Citations: 30

Abstract

The effect of ultrasound on the crystal size during cooling crystallization of paracetamol was investigated. Sonication was enabled in three distinct stages to define the operating guidelines for crystal size control. In addition, it was identified whether size reduction results from a higher amount of nuclei upon primary nucleation or from enhanced secondary nucleation. The results show that tuning of the ultrasonic power density and exposure time after nucleation results in crystal sizes between 70 and 140 µm. In contrast, the use of ultrasound before nucleation does not affect the size, indicating enhanced secondary nucleation as the main mechanism. Finally, sonication after complete desupersaturation reduces the crystal size by about 30 µm but causes surface erosion.

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