On-line control of crystallizers

The design and operation of industrial crystallizers is where developments in the laboratory are confirmed and their practical significance determined. In recent years, crystallization processes involving specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals have increased. This has led increased interest in batch crystallization operation, optimization and desigrt At the same time, the advent of powerful computers and their routine avaUabilily has stimulated interest in the area of on-line control of crystallization process (both batch and continuous). Progress in batch crystallization is surrunarized in a number of recent papers and reviews 173-801. In this section I will discuss two areas which I think will have an impact in the next decade. 

The future of on-line control of crystallization should see the use of parameter estimation for estimation and correction of model parameters along with higher level nonlinear control schemes. The major chtdlenge continues to be realistic measurement of the necessary variables such as the CSD or its moments. 

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