Application of Taylor vortex to crystallization

Abstract

This study summarizes crystallization technology when using a Taylor vortex flow. A Taylor vortex is created in the gap between two co-axially positioned cylinders based on the rotation of the inner cylinder. Due to its unique periodic flow motion, a Taylor vortex has a significant influence on the processes of nucleation, growth, and agglomeration breakage in various crystallizations, including reaction recrystallization, drowning-out crystallization, and cooling crystallization. In the gas-liquid reaction crystallization of calcium carbonate, the mass transfer at the gas-liquid interface is greatly facilitated by a Taylor vortex, resulting in small crystals with a uniform size and morphology. Further, due to molecular alignment by the periodic Taylor vortex motion, the polymorphic nucleation of stable crystals is also promoted. This effect of molecular alignment by a Taylor vortex is demonstrated by the phase transformation of sulfamerazine. Furthermore, the Taylor vortex flow in a Taylor crystallizer improves the productivity of crystallization when compared with the random turbulent eddy flow in an MSMPR crystallizer. Consequently, the high performance of a Taylor crystallizer using a Taylor vortex has strong potential for application to various crystallizations. © 2014 The Society of Chemical Engineers.