The first and most commonly used application for the SoliQz HWC® is suspension-based melt crystallisation. This is a powerful technique to obtain very high purity organic chemicals and metals. Pure crystals will be formed when an impure melt is cooled in a controlled way, because most impurities with a deviating shape and/or size will not fit into the very regular crystal lattice. A SoliQz HWC® can be installed downstream of the crystalliser to carry out the separation of the pure crystals from the impure mother liquor. Melt crystallisation usually has a higher selectivity than distillation and extraction. The high selectivity, the low energy consumption and the absence of solvents make melt crystallisation a perfect example of a ‘green’ production process, while it also fulfills the increasing demand for high-purity products in industry. The SoliQz HWC® has been proven to work successfully at lab scale and pilot scale for over 100 compounds. It has been adopted at semi industrial scale in two applications.
Mini hydraulic wash column used for bench-scale testing

15cm HWC column operating with Para-xylene
