Controlled Evaporative Crystallization: Screening and Enhancing Morphology

  • Crystallization
  • 15 February 2024

About the webinar

Crystal morphology plays a pivotal role in influencing the physicochemical and processing characteristics of crystalline substances, with particular significance across various industries, notably in pharmaceuticals. Despite extensive research, accurately predicting morphology remains a challenge. Existing prediction models often falter in transferring to bulk crystallization conditions, necessitating the exploration of experimental techniques. To address this challenge, this webinar introduces a robust experimental workflow designed for APIs with relative unknown crystallization behavior, emphasizing the identification of precise process conditions for desired morphologies, specifically targeting equant shapes.

Efficient raw material usage, good upscaling transferability, and clear morphology assessment are fundamental aspects of the developed method. Utilizing the advanced miniaturized multi-reactor system Crystalline, researchers Nicolás Ramos Ojeda and Matthias Kind at the Institute of Thermal Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, have expanded its capabilities for controlled isothermal batch evaporative crystallization. This enhancement allows for the decoupling of temperature and supersaturation, simplifying interpretation and ensuring clear morphology-process variable relationships through inline imaging.

Throughout the webinar, guest speaker Nicolás Ramos Ojeda showcases how this experimental setup and workflow have emerged as valuable tools for investigating and manipulating the crystal morphology of APIs with limited crystallization data. Specific process conditions that enhance the formation of equant-shaped crystals for various APIs have been successfully identified. The miniaturized setup serves as an effective screening tool for selecting conditions for validation in larger scales, highlighting its utility in pharmaceutical applications.

Guest speaker

Nicolás Ramos Ojeda

Research Associate at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Nicolás is currently finishing his PhD at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Thermal Process Engineering, in Germany. He has a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM), Chile. His Master Thesis was written at Hamburg University of Technology, on Integrated Reaction and Separation Processes.

Since March 2018, Nicolás has been a research associate at KIT, under the supervision of Prof. Matthias Kind. Over this period, he also had a three-year cooperation on the Evaporative Crystallization of APIs for Controlling its Crystal Morphology with F. Hoffmann La Roche, Basel. Nicolás is also trained in Polymorphism, THz Raman Spectroscopy and Protein Crystallization.

His earlier experience included working as a Project Engineer on Lithium Carbonate Crystallization Studies at UTFSM, Chile during 2017-2018, as well as being an intern at Evonik Technology & Infrastructure, Marl, Germany during 2016-2017.

Watch webinar recording