purity in one step.

Melt Crystallization provides an economic and energy-efficient purification step for separation of isomers, azeotropic systems, products that tend to polymerize, heat sensitive products or explosive substances.

The suspension-based process distributes the crystal growth over a massive surface in the crystal suspension that provides the slow optimum growth rates needed to allow continuous pure crystal formation even in relatively impure melts. 

GEA Melt Crystallization systems cool a crude liquid melt to create a driving force for the formation and growth of 100% pure crystals – often after a single step, thanks to the combination of this extremely selective crystallization process with our GEA-developed special wash columns for solid-liquid separation technology where the mother liquor is effectively removed from the crystals and a product of high purity is obtained.

Our Melt Crystallization plants can be found in thousands of installations around the globe serving to diverse industrial processes such as specialty solvents, xylenes to produce PET, aliphatic and carboxylic acids, Isocyanates used in the manufacture of polyurethane, substituted aromatics used in specialty polymers and more.

Thanks to five decades of ongoing research and development work as well as the experience gained through several hundreds of successful pilot tests and installed plants, GEA offers the broadest technical expertise and undisputed skill to develop applications, demonstrate the feasibility of Melt Crystallization processes and sample production, all within our customer’s reach at our world-class test centers.

Tests for our customer’s specific requirements can be conducted at our GEA NIRO PT test facility in ’s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands. Our experts will generate a suitable test plan and execute the pilot tests. Since our pilot plants are designed using the same principles as the commercial units, they deliver all the necessary information for scale-up and design of a commercial installation.

With continuous and stable operation at low temperatures, no need for solvent recovery or waste byproducts and low energy consumption, GEA Melt Crystallization is here to deliver the purest crystals under the most challenging conditions. Let’s continue the conversation, reach out to us with your specific inquiry.