Optimal start-up strategies of a combined cooling and antisolvent multistage continuous crystallization process

A model-based optimization methodology was developed to systematically address all possible optimal start-up scenarios of a multistage combined cooling and antisolvent continuous MSMPR (mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal) crystallizer. The crystallization aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) in ethanol (solvent) water (antisolvent) used as case study. steady state firstly conducted optimize the crystallizer design operating conditions set-up reference trajectories. discretised profiles jacket temperatures, flowrates seeding policies, which includes seed flowrates, loading mean size, were decision vectors for dynamic problem. Scenarios with single addressed analysed situations involving prefilled or empty vessels. impact simplified procedures refined discretization schemes also addressed. It shown that several options may provide comparable performance time can be improved by nearly 80% vectors.