Innovating Crystallization Technology: PMG Continuous Reaction Crystallizer Empowers R&D and Production of High-End Materials

Preface

In high-end manufacturing fields such as pharmaceuticals, lithium batteries, and electronic materials, the crystallization process is a core link that determines product performance and quality. However, traditional batch stirred-tank crystallization has long suffered from pain points including uneven particle size distribution, local agglomeration, and equipment wall sticking, leading to poor product consistency, low production efficiency, and low yield.

Facing industry challenges, relying on in-depth research in fluid mechanics and crystallization engineering, our company has successfully developed the PMG Continuous Reaction Crystallizer based on the principle of Taylor-Couette Flow, realizing the leap from "production" to "intelligent manufacturing" of crystalline products.

 

I. The Dilemma of Traditional Crystallization: Industry Pain Points and Limitations

Wide particle size distribution: Uneven stirring and large shear field gradients result in significant differences in crystal growth environments.

Local supersaturation: Inadequate mixing easily triggers explosive nucleation and crystal agglomeration.

Equipment scaling: Temperature differences on the tank wall cause nucleation and wall sticking; frequent cleaning affects continuous production.

Large batch differences: Obvious scale-up effect leads to significant fluctuations in product quality between batches.

High energy consumption and low efficiency: High consumption of solvents and energy keeps production costs high.

 

II. PMG Continuous Crystallizer: Technical Principle and New Advantages

1. Core Principle: Precise Regulation of Taylor Vortex Columns

The interior of a traditional stirred tank is a "chaotic world" of turbulent flow. In our crystallizer, by precisely controlling the rotation speed of the inner cylinder shaft, stable, periodic, and axisymmetrically arranged Taylor Vortex Columns are formed in the annular gap. These vortexes, like a string of beads, act as independent "micro-reactors". Each crystal grows in an almost identical environment of flow field, shear force, and supersaturation, fundamentally ensuring the uniformity of particle size and providing a highly homogeneous fluid environment for crystal growth:

Uniform flow field: The shear rate and supersaturation distribution within each vortex are highly consistent.

Confinement effect: Crystals are restricted to grow at the vortex core, avoiding agglomeration and fragmentation.

Controllable residence time: The plug flow characteristic significantly narrows the crystal residence time distribution (RTD).

2. Innovative Advantages: Leapfrog Improvement Compared with Traditional Processes

Indicator	Traditional Batch Crystallizer	PMG Continuous Crystallizer
Particle Size Distribution	Wide (CV > 25%)	Narrow (CV < 15%, up to 5%)
Crystal Morphology	Prone to agglomeration and fragmentation	High sphericity and complete structure
Production Mode	Batch production	Continuous and automated
Energy Consumption & Cost	High	Reduced by 9-40%
Scale-Up Effect	Significant	No scale effect; easy to scale up
Product Consistency	Large differences between batches	No differences between batches

III. R&D Concept: Interdisciplinary Integration from Basic Research to Industrialization

The PMG Reaction Crystallizer consists of two concentric inner and outer cylinders. The reaction solution enters the reaction chamber; the high-speed rotation of the inner cylinder drives the reaction solution to generate fluid vortices arranged alternately in positive and negative directions and in an orderly manner, enabling more sufficient and regular mixing.

 

Laboratory-Scale Precision Verification

Through a large number of experiments, our R&D team has established an accurate mathematical model of "rotation speed - vortex column size - crystal particle size". By adjusting the rotation speed of the inner shaft, the size and intensity of the vortex columns can be effectively controlled, thereby realizing "customized" control of the target crystal particle size. Through a visual experimental device, the structure-activity relationship between the vortex column structure and crystal growth is confirmed, achieving precise control of the particle size of micron-level crystals.

Breakthrough in Engineering Scale-Up

To address issues such as flow field distortion, heat and mass transfer that may occur during scale-up, we have adopted a non-isometric scale-up strategy with constant gaps and axial scale-up, and introduced online monitoring systems (such as FBRM) to ensure that industrial-scale equipment can perfectly replicate the excellent results of laboratory-scale tests.

The non-isometric scale-up strategy (constant gap + axial scale-up), combined with CFD simulation and online monitoring (FBRM, infrared, Raman), ensures that industrial equipment perfectly reproduces the effects of laboratory-scale tests.

The continuous mode breaks the barrier of batch production. Materials continuously enter from one end, move at a constant speed in the "vortex corridor" to complete the process of nucleation and growth, and finally output crystalline products with stable quality from the other end. This not only eliminates batch-to-batch differences but also greatly improves production efficiency, realizing the upgrade from "manufacturing" to "intelligent manufacturing".

Reaction Crystallizer-Industrialization Case

IV. Application Effects: Verified in Multiple Fields with Outstanding Performance

The PMG Continuous Crystallizer has achieved remarkable results in multiple high-end fields:

1. Lithium Battery Materials: Ferric Phosphate Synthesis

Particle size control: Particle size ranges from 1 to 15 μm with extremely narrow distribution (heterogeneity: 0.2).

Efficiency improvement: Reaction time reduced from 10 hours to 3 hours.

Performance optimization: The tap density of the product is increased, which is conducive to improving the volumetric energy density of batteries.

2. Pharmaceutical Industry: Sulfamethazine (SMZ)

Continuous production: Reaction time reduced from 20 hours to 2 hours.

Purity improvement: Good crystal form consistency and low impurity content.

Cost reduction: Production efficiency increased by 10 times, and overall costs significantly reduced.

3. Electronic Materials: OLED Light-Emitting Materials, Graphene

Low-temperature synthesis: OLED materials can be produced under normal temperature and pressure with a purity of 99.99%.

Efficient washing: The washing time of graphene oxide is reduced from 168 hours to 1.66 hours, and the liquid consumption is reduced by 94%.

Cost advantage: The production cost of OLED materials is reduced from 60,000 yuan/kg to 18,000 yuan/kg.

4. Inorganic Functional Materials: Lithium Carbonate, Inorganic Salts, Amino Acids, etc.

High purity: The purity of lithium carbonate is stably ≥99.5% with controllable particle size.

High yield: The recovery rate of amino acids is increased from 70% to over 95%.

Energy conservation and consumption reduction: Lower reaction temperature, shorter time, and reduced solvent consumption.

 

Ⅴ. Future Outlook: Sustained Innovation for Intelligent Manufacturing

The PMG Continuous Reaction Crystallizer is not just a piece of equipment, but an open platform technology. In the future, we will focus on:

Process intelligence: Deeply integrate PAT (Process Analytical Technology), AI, and digital twins to realize autonomous optimization of the crystallization process.

Application diversification: Expand applications in fields such as nanomaterials, protein crystallization, and high-end pigments.

Technology integration: Couple external field enhancement methods such as ultrasound and microwave to further improve crystallization efficiency and quality.

Modularization and green development: Develop modular skid-mounted devices to help customers expand production rapidly and promote green manufacturing and low-carbon development.

Conclusion

With its precise control capability, stable product quality, and significant economic benefits, the PMG Continuous Reaction Crystallizer represents the development direction of modern crystallization technology. We are willing to work with partners from all sectors to jointly promote the R&D and manufacturing of high-end crystalline materials in China and contribute core technological strength to "Made in China 2.0".

Welcome to contact us to experience the transformative power of PMG Crystallization Technology.