Patent ID: 7314516

Claim:
A process for crystallizing a compound using hydrodynamic cavitation, the method comprising: colliding at least one stream of a solution of such compound to be crystallized against at least one stream of an anti-solvent in a nucleating section of a crystallization device to create a transient cavitation field, thereby yielding a mixed fluid stream and seed crystals; passing the mixed fluid stream and seed crystals at an elevated pressure through at least one local constriction of flow to create a fixed hydrodynamic cavitation field in the nucleation section, thereby yielding a mixed fluid stream and additional and/or larger seed crystals; passing the mixed fluid stream containing the seed crystals through an intermediate section of the crystallization devices, passing the mixed fluid stream containing the seed crystals through a crystal growth section of the crystallization device comprising at least one local constriction of flow to create hydrodynamic cavitation, thereby causing further crystallization or crystal growth of the seed crystals contained in the mixed fluid stream.