Methodology for Template Induced Crystallization

In-Situ Product Removal (ISPR) technologies are being developed at the Dutch National Organization for Applied Sciences (TNO) & Delft University of Technology (TUD) to increase the yield and productivity in fermentation processes. ISPR can in principle be achieved using Template Induced Crystallization (TIC). With TIC, templates are added to the solution as a specific surface upon which the solute preferably crystallizes. The governing principles of TIC are poorly understood and template selection criteria are lacking. Therefore a method to screen for these templates is developed. The methodology comprises metastable zone width determination, template classification and different types of induction time measurements. The screening method is implemented in robotized equipment for parallel experimentation. The results show that the induction time of cinnamic acid crystallization is decreased by the addition of TiO2 templates. Templates enabling crystallization can be distinguished from ineffective templates with relatively simple experiments. The methodology therefore is applicable to evaluate templates upon their potential to promote crystallization. Future work will be focused on the integration of the TICprinciple and fermentation processes.