Patent ID: 7025828

Claim:
A method of determining the optimal yield of a target compound isolatable from a mixture of compounds, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the initial composition of a mixture of compounds containing the target compound; (b) preparing a plurality of different solutions in a plurality of vessels, comprising the steps of (b1) placing the mixture in the plurality of vessels; (b2) placing one or more solvents in the plurality of vessels, steps b1 and b2 forming a plurality of solutions in the said vessels; (b3) optionally, placing a portion of a different derivatising agent in each vessel; (c) causing crystallisation to occur; (d) analysing the contents of the vessels after the crystallisation has approached equilibrium to determine the compositions of the liquors and the compositions of the solids; and (e) establishing a yield prediction by using an optimization algorithm using the composition data from the mixture of step (a) and the composition data of step (d) from one or more volumes of solvent, wherein the method is based on the ideal approximation and uses the measurement of the actual solubility behavior of the compounds in the presence of the solvent.