Chemical engineering crystallization, working example

To scale-up a process from the laboratory to the pilot plant the development chemist must have an appreciation of chemical engineering principles. Understanding of heat transfer and mass transfer is essential in the successful scale-up of a new process. To control the temperature witii respect to time is one of the most important aspects of chemical engineering. Reaction temperatures must be controlled in order to ensure selectivity of the process, reproduce results accurately and to prevent thermal runaways. Heat transfer is not only important in the reaction but in the work up as well. For example, to control the temperature during exothermic neutralizations, crystallizations, and distillations. In many chemical processes the rate of external heating may not be important, but the rate of external cooling can be very critical when exotherms take place. 

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