This study compares
the use of wet milling and indirect ultrasound
for promoting nucleation and controlling the particle size during
the continuous crystallization of a hard-to-nucleate active pharmaceutical
ingredient (API). Both an immersion and an external wet mill installed
on a recirculation loop were investigated. It was found that all methodologies
significantly improved the nucleation kinetics, and the effects of
key process parameters (e.g., mill speed, temperature,
and ultrasound intensity) on particle size were experimentally investigated.
A minimum d
50 of 27 and 36.8 μm
was achieved when using the wet mill and ultrasound, respectively.
The effectiveness of wet milling was demonstrated in a three-stage
mixed suspension mixed product removal continuous crystallization
of the API that was operated continuously for 12 h (eight residence
times), achieving a steady state with minimal fouling. Strategies
for improving the overall robustness of the setup in routine manufacturing
are discussed.
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