Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L68797/01
Title:	A MOLECULAR-BASEDUNDERSTANDING OF BATCH CHRYSTALISATI ON PROCESSES USING ON-LINE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
Principal Investigator:	Roberts, Professor KJ
Other Investigators:	Wilkinson, Dr D Thomas, Mr A White, Dr G Hammond, Dr RB
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	AstraZeneca BASF GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) ICI Malvern Instruments Ltd Pfizer
Department:	Mechanical & Chemical Engineering
Organisation:	Heriot-Watt University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 January 1998	Ends:	30 June 2001	Value (£):	416,020
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Particle Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Funding is requested to build a world class facility for on-line monitoring, parameter analysis and subsequent control of processing factors that are particularly important in the non-linear environment associated with the batch manufacture of complex speciality chemicals e.g. molecular structure and product form. The proposed research will involve: 1) Integration of a number of state of the art on-line analytical systems (X-ray diffraction, ultra-sonic spectroscopy, UV visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and laser doppler anemometry) into computer controlled batch crystallisation reactors at the 2 litre scale in an overall system which will include the careful control of temperature, pH and mixing; 2) Consideration of scale-up factors such as hydrodynamics and process mixing as assessed on-line using laser doppler anemometry and other techniques and modelled using computational fluid dynamics, thus enabling the successful transfer of the on-line approaches to the 20 litre scale size range and eventually to industrial scale sizes.The overall objective of this programme within 3 years is to produce materials with required molecular and solid-phase properties by defining the key generic control parameters important in the manufacture of advanced chemical products, with particular emphasis on particle production of materials which are inherently badly behaved, i.e. large complex organic molecules with wide meta-stable zone widths, which do not nucleate or crystallise easily.
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.hw.ac.uk