Fractional crystallization

In chemistry, fractional crystallization is a method of refining substances based on differences in solubility. If two or more substances are dissolved in a solvent, they will crystallize out of solution (precipitate) at different rates. Crystallization can be induced by changes in concentration, temperature or other means. A process by which a chemical compound is separated into components by crystallization. In fractional crystallization the compound is mixed with a solvent, heated, and then gradually cooled so that, as each of its constituent components crystallizes, it can be removed in its pure form from the solution

This technique is often used in chemical engineering to obtain very pure substances, or to recover sellable products from waste solutions.

Fractional crystallization can be used for purification or analysis.

See also

• Crystal
• Crystal structure
• Crystallite
• Crystallization and engineering aspects
• Fractional freezing
• Laser Heated Pedestal Growth
• Recrystallization
• Seed crystal
• Single crystal

References

• "Small Molecule Crystalization" (PDF) at Illinois Institute of Technology website

This physical chemistry-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e