Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, Vol.42, No.4, 231-240, 2009
Model for Batch Crystallization of Bisphenol-A Adduct under the Influence of Industrial Impurities
The present study investigates the crystallization kinetics of bisphenol A-phenol adduct under the influence of impurities present in industrial liquors. Crystallization experiments were carried out in a 2 L stainless-steel jacketed reactor. Impurities in a sample of industrial liquor were analyzed using gas chromatography and the morphology of adduct particles were illustrated using method of scanning electron microscopy. A population balance equation coupled with a mass balance equation was used in model development. These model equations were solved simultaneously using the finite difference method of Crank-Nicolson. Kinetic parameters of the rate equations of growth, nucleation, and agglomeration were estimated by minimizing the difference between the model predictions and the experimental data. The estimation of kinetic parameters revealed that the impurities decrease the mechanisms of growth and nucleation but increase the agglomeration of adduct particles. Therefore, the plant impurities detrimentally affect the quantity and quality of the adduct product.