Crystallization Development Workstations For More Robust Processes – Product Introduction – en
Channel: METTLER TOLEDO AutoChem
Date: 2012-01-09

During crystallization development, chemists often produce crystals rapidly without time for a full Design of Experiment (DoE). Although there is little time for process optimization, crystallization development is a perfect time to screen design parameters and determine the solubility, solvent, and temperature profile. Crystallization development is an ideal point to establish a direction which avoids future disturbances such as impurities, undesired polymorph forms, or particle size and shape distributions that are difficult to process downstream. When disturbances like these occur they require costly redesigns which can be prevented if caught earlier in crystallization development: https://www.mt.com/us/en/home/applications/L1_AutoChem_Applications/L2_Crystallization.html?GLO_YT_Autochem_OTH_Youtube_Autochem

Traditional round bottom flasks or jacketed laboratory reactor vessels provide a manually controlled temperature and mixing environment. They are time consuming to set up, not repeatable, and are challenging to configure with in-process analytical tools. Established small volume crystallization workstations provide a platform where chemists quickly and efficiently carry out experiments day and night with tight control over: temperature, mixing, dosing, and pH control.

Small volume crystallization development workstations are easy to use, highly repeatable, and quickly integrate with process analytical tools.

During crystallization development, common questions include:
•Did the solids crash out?
•Did a solvent oil out?
•When did the crystals begin to agglomerate?
•Is it easily transferred to our manufacturing facility or Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO)?
•Did I seed at the right temperature?
•Will the product have the purity and yield we require?
•Is the process consistent batch to batch?
•What will be the filtration rate?
•What is the solubility?

Common questions during crystallization development are easily answered with intuitive workstations by tracking changes from within the crystallization vessel. 

Chemical synthesis reactors enable development of more robust crystallization processes by integrating Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tools for inline particle characterization, supersaturation measurement, scale-up and scale-down crystallization experiments. Crystallization development workstations enable scientists to understand polymorphism by detecting secondary nucleation, improve purity by optimizing the seeding protocol, improve filtration by tracking changes to the particle size distribution, and control critical process parameters such as dosing rate, temperature profile, mixing and pH.