11 - Sonocrystallization

Abstract

Crystallization is one of the main operations in the industry to obtain solid materials with a well-organized and compact structure from homogeneous solutions. The use of ultrasound (US) to assist the crystallization process is known as sonocrystallization. Using sonocrystallization can greatly improve the indicators used in this process: (1) supersaturation concentration, (2) induction period, and (3) metastable zone width. This approach is of great value to tailor the characteristics of crystals and achieve target applications in food area. Interesting applications have been reported in scientific literature such as isolation of high-added value compounds from food processing wastes, better control of crystallization process, and characteristics of crystals, development of healthier ingredients to replace fat and reduce crystal size to reduce the amount of sodium chloride added to food products. This chapter will focus on the main advantages and potential applications of sonocrystallization to improve the sustainability of crystallization process and in the development of healthier food products.