What is the fuss about continuous crystallisation?

80% pharmaceutical active ingredients (APIs) and ~60% of fine/specialty compounds are produced in crystalline form. Traditional stirred tank vessels have been the workhorse since the industrial revolution. So why and what is the fuss about continuous crystallisation? In this presentation, Prof Ni shall explain why flow is important and illustrate how plug flow can be achieved and implemented in crystallisation; will use real industrial cease studies to demonstrate that significant step change benefits can be achieved using this type of plug flow technology in lab, pilot and industrial scales. The presentation will simulate interesting discussion, promote innovation and renew confidence in identifying new, useful and perhaps unexpected applications using plug flow reactors.

Biography

 Professor Xiongwei Ni was involved in the development of oscillatory flow technology at its inception in 1988 at the University of Cambridge, UK. He has over 20 years’ research experience and the world expert in the science and technological applications of oscillatory baffled reactors (OBR). Xiongwei has been a Full Professor in Chemical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh since 1999, is the lead author or principal co-author of over 180 scientific papers on OBR related research as well as 8 patents. He was the keynote speaker at American Institute of Chemical Engineering Annual Meetings, Process Intensification Conferences, Scientific Update Conferences, Industrial Seminars of Process Engineering, Society of Chemical Industry Symposium and the Royal Society of Chemistry Symposiums; delivered invited seminars at Universities in the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, China and Japan. A chartered Chemical Engineer, a Fellow of IChemE and a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, he is the UK representative in Process Intensification in the European Federation of Chemical Engineering. He span off a company, NiTech Solutions Ltd (www.nitechsolutions.co.uk), in 2005 specializing continuous flow technology that handles solids including crystallization, has directly involved in a large number of continuous crystallization of APIs, fine chemicals and food products, and has gained significant insight into this type of operation.