Crystallizers scraped-surface crystallizer

The Phillips process is a two-stage crystallisation process that uses a pulsed column in the second stage to purify the crystals (79,80). In the pulsed column, countercurrent contact of the high purity PX Hquid with cold crystals results in displacement of impurities. In the first stage, a rotary filter is used. In both stages, scraped surface chillers are used. This process was commercialized in 1957, but no plants in operation as of 1996 use this technology. 

Insofar as they are used to purify other products, several processes used in the refinery fall under the classification of dewaxing processes however, such processes must also be classified as wax production processes (2). Most commercial dewaxing processes utilize solvent dilution, chilling to crystallize the wax, and filtration (28). The MEK process (methyl ethyl ketone—toluene solvent) is widely used. Wax crystals are formed by chilling through the walls of scraped surface chillers, and wax is separated from the resultant wax—oil—solvent slurry by using fliUy enclosed rotary vacuum filters. 

One of the early column crystallizers was that iatroduced for the separation of xylene isomers (see Xylene and Ethylbenzene). In this unit, shown schematically ia Eigure 25, -xylene crystals are formed ia a scraped-surface chiller above the column and fed to the column. The crystals move downward counter-currenfly to impure Hquid ia the upper portion of the column and melted -xylene ia the lower part of the column. Impure Hquor is withdrawn from an appropriate poiat near the top of the column of crystals while pure product, xylene, is removed from the bottom of the column. The pulse unit drives melt up the column as reflux and iato a product receiver. 

Scraped-Surface Crystallizer For relatively small-scale apph-cations a number of ciystallizer designs employing direct neat exchange between the shiny and a jacket or double wall containing a cooling medium have been developed. The heat-transfer surface is scraped or agitated in such a way that the deposits cannot build up. 

This type is similar in principle to the tank type, but the cooling surfaces are continually scraped or agitated to prevent the fouling by deposited crystals and to promote heat transfer. They are suitable for processing high-viscosity liquors. Scraped-surface... 

These results show that it may be more efficient to depectinize fruit juices before their concentration by freezing because this would give minimum losses at lower heat removal rates and thus at conditions of more economical operation. The implication of these results for the design of a scraped surface crystallizer are currently being examined. 

Production rates of melt crystallization of organic materials usually are low enough to warrant the use of scraped surface crystallizers like that of Figure 16.10(a). A major difficulty in the production of crystals is the occlusion of residual liquor on them which cuts the overall purity of the product, especially so because of low temperatures near the eutectic and the consequent high viscosities. Completeness of removal of occluded liquor by centrifugation or filtration often is limited because of the fragility and fineness of the organic crystals. 

Brodie Crystallizer-Purifier [Fig. 1414(c)]. This equipment combines a horizontal scraped surface crystallizer with a vertical purifying section. The capacity and performance of the purifier... 

All feeds were prepared in Armstrong scraped surface crystallizers. 

The scraped surface, or close-clearance exchanger, illustrated in Fig. 10 is required for a few very difficult situations. An example is purification by fractional crystallization, in which a refrigerant boiling in the annulus cools a solution of various substances and certain species selectively crystallize out on the surface of the inner pipe. The crystalline deposit must be continuously scraped off of the surface in order that the heat transfer rate be maintained. The crystals are eventually removed from the remaining liquid by filtration. 

Co.). In direct contact with the scraped surface is the process fluid which may deposit crystals upon chilling or be extremely fouling or of very high viscosity. Motors, chain drives, appropriate guards, and so on are required for the rotating element. For chilling service with a refrigerant in the outer shell, an accumulator drum is mounted on top of the unit. 

Scraped-surface exchangers are particularly suitable for heat transfer with crystallization, heat transfer with severe fouling of surfaces, heat transfer with solvent extraction, and heat transfer of high-viscosity fluids. They are extensively used in paraffin-wax plants and in petrochemical plants for crystallization. 

The scraped-surface crystallizer provides an effective and inexpensive method of producing slurry in equipment which does not require expensive installation or supporting structures. 

In the manufacture of margarine, the emulsion is processed in a scraped-surface heat exchanger that must supercool the melted fat quickly in order to form as many crystal nuclei as possible (11). 

Crystallization and processing of palm oil with satisfactory results in a scraped-surface heat exchanger line for margarine and shortening requires some attention due to the slow crystallization phenomena observed in palm oil. 

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