CONCEPTION AND SET-UP OF AN AUTOMATED LABORATORY CRYSTALLIZER

Crystallization is the most used separation process in fine chemistry. We have developped a laboratory set-up to improve automation of this operation and to study crystallization parameters. This equipment must be adapted to different batch crystallization processes of fine chemical and pharmaceutical products. This set-up is made up of modular systems like solution preparation, filtering, crystallization and crystals washing. Automation of the general operation is performed with a programmer which has a distinctive feature of managing overall actuators on the process. Several controllers of the most important parameters of crystallization (regulators) are coupled with the programmer. We performed crystallization test of pharmaceutical product. The automation of experimental procedure of crystallization allows one to obtain reproductible results, to control crystallization temperature and to improve the particle size of final product. Temperature profile of solution follows the polynomial law of cooling.