Crystallization_3

Example 1 2

• It is required to produce potassium sulphate crystals of dominant size LD = 0.6 mm at a rate of

1000 kg/h in an MSMPR crystallizer. The nucleation rate has been experimentally obtained:

B⁰ = 4 × 10¹⁸ MT G² per mᶾ per second. Calculate the crystallizer volume.

Given: magma density, MT = 240 kg/mᶾ slurry; volume shape factor of the crystals, φv = 0.696;

density of the crystals, ρc = 2660 kg/mᶾ. j = 2.

Solution 3
Given :
ρc = 2660 kg/m3 ;
K = 4 × 1018 ;
LD = 0.6 mm = 6 ×10-4 m; j = 2.

• Crystal growth rate can be calculated

1/( j 1) 1/( j 1)

 27   30.3 
G 4 
 4 
2
 v c K LD   
 v c K LM 

1/(2 1)
 27 
G 4 4 
 1.41 108 m/s
 (2)(0.696)(2660)(4  1018
)(6  10 ) 
Solution 4

Then,

  LD / 3G  (6  104 ) /(3)(1.41  10 8 )  14180 s  3.94h

Qo
Holding time =  
V
Production rate = 1000 kg/h; magma density = 240 kg/m 3

Rate of withdrawal of the suspension, Qo = (1000 kg/h)/(240 kg/m3) = 4.17 m3/h

Magma density, MT = 240 kg/mᶾ slurry

Mass flow rate = 1000 kg/h

Working volume of crystallizer, V = Qo τ = (4.17 m3/h)(3.94 h) = 16.4 m3

Example 5

• Potassium chloride crystals of 1.1 mm average size are to be produced at a rate of 800 kg per batch
in an evaporative crystallizer operating under vacuum at 40⁰C. At the start, the crystallizer is filled
with a saturated solution of KCl and is seeded with reasonably uniform-sized crystals of Ls = 80μm.

• The solubility of KCl at 40⁰C is 400 kg/mᶾ and the density of the solution is 1300 kg/mᶾ . A maximum
slurry density of 150 kg crystals/mᶾ of slurry is allowed. The density of the crystals is 1990 kg/mᶾ;
the crystal shape factor is taken as φv = 1.0. The crystal growth rate can be assumed to remain
constant at 3 × 10ˉ⁸ m/s.

• Determine

• mass of seeds used

• batch time,

• evaporation profile

• initial and final evaporation rate

Solution 6
Mass of seeds used :

Final mass of the product crystals,

W = 800 kg;
L = 1.1 mm = 1.1 × 10-3 m;
Density , ρc = 1990 kg/m3 ;
Size of a seed crystal, Ls = 80 × 10-6 m;
Growth rate, G = 3 × 10-8 m/s;
φv = 1.0

Mass of a single crystal :

m  v L3  c  (1)(1.1 103 )3 (1990) kg = 2.649  10 6 kg

Solution 7

Number of crystals = W/m

800 /(2.649  106 )  3.02  108  N  number of seeds W = 800 kg;

Mass of a seed crystal :

m s  v L3  c  (1)(80  106 )3 (1990) kg =1.019  10 9 kg

Mass of seeds:

M s  Nm s  (3.02  108 )(1.019  109 )  0.308 kg

Solution 8

Batch time 
If t is batch time, and G (= 3.0 × 10-8 m/s) is constant growth rate,

L = LS + Gt

( L - Ls ) 1.1  103  80  106

or t   8
 3.4  10 4
s  9.44 h
G 3.0  10
Solution 9
Evaporation profile:

2
dV 3 M s G  Gt 
   1  
dt C Ls  Ls 

Given : M s  0.308kg, C  400 kg / m 3 , G / Ls  3.75  10 4 s 1

dV (3)(0.308)
  (3.75  104 )(1  3.75  104 t )2
dt 400

dV
  8.66  10 7 (1  3.75  104 t )2 m 3 /s
dt
Solution 10
 × 10-7 m3/s = 0.0519 litre/min
Initial rate of evaporation (at t = 0) = 8.66

Final rate of evaporation,

 8.66  107 [1   3.75  104  (3.4  104 )]2 m 3 /s

dV

dt

= 0.714 litre/min
Example 3 11
• A laboratory MSMPR crystallizer has 0.05 mᶾ suspension holdup. Measurements on a sample of
suspension drawn from the crystallizer show a mass-weighted average particle size of 400
microns.
• Other data: the average holding time = 50 min; the suspension density, M T = 120 kg crystals/mᶾ
of the suspension: true density of the crystals, ρc = 2400 kg/mᶾ; volume shape factor of a
crystal, φv = 0.523.

M T  6 v  c n  G 
o 4
• suspension density is expressed as

• Calculate
• crystal growth rate
• Zero (vanishing) size nuclei density n⁰,
• nucleation rate
Solution 12
• Mass weighted average size : average holding time = 50 min

L4  4 G L4  400 microns

L4 400
G   2  m / min  3.33  108 m / s
4 4  50

• Given M T  6 v  c n  G   120 kg / m 3
o 4

ρc = 2400 kg/mᶾ

φv = 0.523 400  m
G   100  m
4
Solution 13
• Substituting :

120  6  0.523  2400  n   100 

o 4

or no  1.6  108 nuclei /  m 3    m 

• Nucleation rate :

B o  noG  1.6  108 nuclei /  m 3    m     2  m / min 

B o  3.2  108 nuclei /  m 3   min 