Ultrasound has shown its benefits in the manufacturing processes of many pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. This study focused on the reactive crystallization system of an aromatic amine and explored the potential uses of ultrasound in both batch and continuous modes. In batch experiments, we studied the effects of different sonication conditions including power, duration, and starting point on final particle properties. Under ultrasound, the crystal form and crystal morphology remained well maintained. The results of particle size and size distribution suggested that ultrasound reduced the mean sizes by improving the nucleation process and breaking up large particles. Additionally, the presence of ultrasound in continuous experiments was capable of inducing nucleation and the crystal products collected had a suitable distribution. Integrating ultrasound into the beginning of the continuous crystallization process can be an alternative to the seeding technique. The increasing sonication power did not reduce the induction time substantially. This indicated that a rational sonication condition should balance the overall process efficiency and energy consumption. The findings from batch and continuous experiments indicate that ultrasound could intensify industrial crystallization of the aromatic amine. Incorporating energy-efficient ultrasound with the continuous process will potentially lead to increased production efficiency and a well-controlled product quality.

中文翻译：

---

超声对间歇和连续模式下芳香胺反应结晶和颗粒性质的影响


超声波已在许多制药和精细化学品的制造过程中显示出其优势。本研究侧重于芳香胺的反应结晶系统，并探索了超声在间歇和连续模式下的潜在用途。在批量实验中，我们研究了不同超声处理条件（包括功率、持续时间和起点）对最终颗粒特性的影响。在超声下，晶型和晶体形貌保持良好。粒径和粒径分布的结果表明，超声通过改善成核过程和分解大颗粒来减小平均粒径。此外，在连续实验中超声的存在能够诱导成核，并且收集的晶体产物具有适当的分布。将超声整合到连续结晶过程的开始时可以替代晶种技术。超声处理能力的增加并没有显著减少诱导时间。这表明合理的超声处理条件应平衡整体工艺效率和能耗。批量和连续实验的结果表明，超声可以增强芳香胺的工业结晶。将节能超声波与连续工艺相结合，有可能提高生产效率和控制良好的产品质量。