Prediction of the Layer Growth Rate in Static Melt Crystallization

The crystal layer growth rate is governed by the heat transfer in a layer melt crystallization process and is essential to the separation efficiency. Herein, a numerical model was proposed to predict the solid-liquid (S-L) interface temperature and the growth rate of the crystal layer. The heat transfer equation was taken as the governing equation, combining crystal layer growth kinetics, mass balance, and heat balance in the model which were solved using the finite volume method. The calculation results provided details of temperature distribution in the crystal layer, temperature of the moving S-L interface, and the layer growth rate. The simulated results were validated by experiments using P-xylene as the model substance. Finally, the crystal layer growth rate was found to be very sensitive to the seeding supercooling, especially at the early stage right after seeding. The proper seeding supercooling could be optimized by this model according to both the optimized crystal layer growth rate and productivity.

Automated summary

A numerical model was proposed to predict the temperature distribution and growth rate of the crystal layer. The model combined the heat transfer equation with crystal layer growth kinetics, mass balance, and heat balance. Experimental validation confirmed the accuracy of the simulated results.