Chemical Crystallization and Solids Processing

Solids processing is a technology that heavily relies on empiricism and thus requires laboratory and pilot plant research, development, and demonstration. AVN offers a full range of laboratory services for solids processing, including various types of crystallization, solid/liquid separation such as centrifugation and filtration, and vacuum and convection drying. Services include the capability for conducting laboratory and/or pilot scale precipitation, crystallization, and product recovery studies suitable for scale-up to commercial operation.

AVN provides custom services to meet a client’s specific needs, including the ability to synthesize and produce reaction products in lieu of the client supplying representative material. With this range of capability, AVN can undertake projects that begin with the reaction steps and proceed through crystallization and on to downstream processing operations.

We can operate on a scale that provides product samples of sufficient size to facilitate product testing and evaluation. These services have been of high value to clients developing new products and processes.

Services

AVN provides custom services to meet the client’s specific needs. Services include the capability for conducting laboratory and/or pilot scale precipitation, crystallization, and product recovery studies suitable for scale-up to commercial operation. We can also carry out process simulation studies to model a potential process scheme.
AVN has synthesis and reaction capability to produce reaction product in lieu of the client supplying representative material.
We can operate on a scale that provides product samples of sufficient size to facilitate product testing and evaluation.
AVN can undertake projects potentially involving crystallization that begin with the reaction steps and proceed through crystallization and on to downstream processing operations. This capability has been of high value to clients developing new products and processes.
AVN can develop a detailed investigation of factors affecting particle size, habit and quality.

Equipment

AVN has a wide variety of specialized equipment suitable for developing solids processing systems.

  • Standard crystallizers: Jacketed glass crystallizers suitable for cooling or evaporative crystallization ranging from 0.5 to 50 liters volume.
  • Falling film crystallizers: A variety of glass falling film crystallizers ranging from one-two inch diameter are available for specialized studies.
  • Solid/liquid separation equipment: Walton pressure filter, top and bottom vacuum test leafs, gyrotesters, laboratory perforate basket and disc centrifuge, 14 inch basket, variable speed centrifugal filter, and 10 inch constant speed peeler centrifuge.
  • Dryers: Atmospheric and vacuum tray dryers and an ABBE roto-cone vacuum dryer.
  • Other supporting equipment: Jenike and Peschl shear testers, Sartorious moisture analyzer, National microscope with MOTIC imaging software, sonic screens.

Recent Projects

Recent activities in our laboratories cover a broad range of studies. Some highlights are listed here.

  • Developed technology to purify a bio-derived product by crystallization. Scaled up the process to produce hundreds of pounds of pure crystalline product per month. Patent applications have been filed on this technology.
  • Demonstrated batch, semi-batch, and continuous crystallization processes for this product. Investigated a range of drying technologies to identify the most efficient, effective, and scalable process.
  • Evaluated melt crystallization as an alternative technology for this product.
  • Successfully demonstrated a unique isomerization/crystallization process for another bio-derived product.
  • Studied effluent from a biodigester and evaluated a number of approaches to separating the components of this stream.
  • Tested a number of approaches for solid-liquid separation of mixtures obtained in processes being developed in a biorefinery process. Identified and demonstrated technology that permits more economical scale-up of the process.
  • Improved a process involving solid precipitation to enhance development of particle size and improve separations.
  • Evaluated the effects of various treatments on wet solids flow and shear properties.
  • Developed ternary phase diagrams for unique three-component systems.