ATR-FTIR for determining optimal cooling curves for batch crystallization of succinic acid

The temperature profile applied during batch cooling crystallization affects the supersaturation level, which in turn affects the crystal size distribution. It is possible, in principle, to calculate the optimal cooling profile; however, the nucleation and growth kinetics are rarely known to the degree of accuracy necessary for this calculation. The current study demonstrates an alternative approach to determination of the optimal cooling profile without any prior knowledge of kinetic data or subsequent modeling. An attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometer was used to monitor the supersaturation level during batch cooling crystallization. The ATR-FTIR was interfaced to a LABMAX automatic reactor system that was used in a feedback mode to control the cooling rate so that the supersaturation level remained close to the solubility throughout the cooling process. The resulting temperature profile corresponds to the optimal operating conditions for the maximum in the mean crystal size.