Abstract
In this paper, the experimental research concerning the impact of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic transition of a polymer exhibiting the Upper Critical Solution Temperature (UCST) onto the crystallization process of inorganic salt is presented. A hypothesis was postulated that under favorable process conditions the sudden change of macromolecules properties and the resulting appearance of insoluble particles will induce the nucleation process of the salt. Since the transition point parameters may be precisely designed, the described mechanism would eliminate the stochastic nature of the crystallization process. Although performed experiments proved that the postulated process mechanism was incorrect, the presence of macromolecules had a significant impact on the crystallization course. The stochastic nature of the process was not eliminated; nevertheless, it seems that a specific point of nucleation was created which was independent of the cloud point temperature (TCP) of the polymer. Moreover, the surface morphology of crystals was changed.
Highlights
The term “crystal engineering” was introduced by Schmidt in 1971 [1,2,3] and as a part of Chemical and Process Engineering plays a crucial role in the modern industrial technologies
We propose an alternative solution, namely the application of stimuli-responsive polymer phase transition
The samples’ TCP was measured up to 25 days after synthesis in different conditions. They proved, among others, that for specific conditions the thermosensitivity of macromolecules can disappear after such a long period of storage time. They reached conclusions, with which we fully agree, that some irreversible changes of the macromolecule’s chemical structure occurred due to the harsh, acidic conditions and high concentration of salt
Summary
The term “crystal engineering” was introduced by Schmidt in 1971 [1,2,3] and as a part of Chemical and Process Engineering plays a crucial role in the modern industrial technologies. These processes are usually realized in batch reactors On one hand, such an approach offers flexibility but on the other hand, it can cause problems of an economical nature due to the risk of obtaining off-specification products [5,6,7]. Another issue is the change of crystallizer scale, which is not as straightforward as it could appear [8], or the phenomenon of incrustation [7,9] which generates noticeable operational costs, especially in the industrialized economies [10].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call