Chemical engineering aspects of precipitation from solution

Precipitation is a rapid solidification. As a rule, it applies to substances which are sparingly soluble and is coupled with a chemical reaction or with a salting out process. The chemical engineer has to ensure that the product obtained has a constant and preferably coarse size distribution. This contribution compares the literature data on crystallization of soluble and sparingly soluble substances; it can be shown that, during precipitation processes, nuclei are formed, most probably by a primary mechanism. Analysis of the processes occurring during precipitation, such as chemical reaction, mixing and crystallization, leads to recommendations for the operation of precipitation processes.