A continuous process for producing crystalline ammonium sulfate, said process comprising a start-up operation followed by a steady-state operation, wherein the start-up operation comprises: i) in a crystallizer, evaporating solvent from an approximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution; ii) replacing evaporated solvent with further approximately proximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution; iii) introducing to the crystallizer seed crystals of ammonium sulfate; iv) continuing to evaporate solvent, until a desired degree of supersaturation is reached; and v) recovering crystalline ammonium sulfate from ammonium sulfate solution in a recovery unit, and the steady-state operation comprises: vi) continuously feeding approximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution into the crystallizer and continuously withdrawing ammonium sulfate crystals from the crystallizer, such that the total combined volume of ammonium sulfate solution and ammonium sulfate crystals within the crystallizer remains constant; and vii) recovering crystalline ammonium sulfate from ammonium sulfate solution in a recovery unit, characterized in that the degree of supersaturation in the crystallizer during the start-up operation is maintained between 1.2% and the point at which primary nucleation occurs; and apparatus suitable for carrying out the process.

A continuous process for producing crystalline ammonium sulfate, said process comprising a start-up operation followed by a steady-state operation, wherein the start-up operation comprises: i) in a crystallizer, evaporating solvent from an approximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution; ii) replacing evaporated solvent with further approximately proximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution; iii) introducing to the crystallizer seed crystals of ammonium sulfate; iv) continuing to evaporate solvent, until a desired degree of supersaturation is reached; and v) recovering crystalline ammonium sulfate from ammonium sulfate solution in a recovery unit, and the steady-state operation comprises: vi) continuously feeding approximately saturated ammonium sulfate solution into the crystallizer and continuously withdrawing ammonium sulfate crystals from the crystallizer, such that the total combined volume of ammonium sulfate solution and ammonium sulfate crystals within the crystallizer remains constant; and vii) recovering crystalline ammonium sulfate from ammonium sulfate solution in a recovery unit, characterized in that the degree of supersaturation in the crystallizer during the start-up operation is maintained between 1.2% and the point at which primary nucleation occurs; and apparatus suitable for carrying out the process.

The present invention provides a continuous process for producing ammonium sulfate crystals, wherein said process comprises: i) feeding to a series of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a solution of ammonium sulfate; ii) crystallizing ammonium sulfate crystals from said solution of ammonium sulfate; iii) purging a fraction of the solution of ammonium sulfate from each of said crystallization sections; and iv) discharging ammonium sulfate crystals from each crystallization section, characterized in that: a fraction of said solution of ammonium sulfate is purged from at least one crystallization section to at least one other crystallization section; and an apparatus suitable for producing ammonium sulfate crystals.

The present invention provides a continuous process for producing ammonium sulfate crystals, wherein said process comprises: i) feeding to a series of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a solution of ammonium sulfate; ii) crystallizing ammonium sulfate crystals from said solution of ammonium sulfate; iii) purging a fraction of the solution of ammonium sulfate from each of said crystallization sections; and iv) discharging ammonium sulfate crystals from each crystallization section, characterized in that: a fraction of said solution of ammonium sulfate is purged from at least one crystallization section to at least one other crystallization section; and an apparatus suitable for producing ammonium sulfate crystals.

The present invention provides a continuous process for producing ammonium sulfate crystals, wherein said process comprises: (a) feeding to a first group of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a first aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities; (b) feeding to a second group of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a second aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities; (c) crystallizing ammonium sulfate crystals in each crystallization section respectively from each of said solutions of ammonium sulfate that contain one or more impurities; (d) purging a fraction of the ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities from each of said crystallization sections; and (e) discharging ammonium sulfate crystals from each crystallization section, characterized in that: (i) both the first group of crystallization sections and the second group of crystallization sections are together heat integrated in one series of crystallization sections; wherein the first group of crystallization sections operates at higher temperature than the second group of crystallization sections; and (ii) the composition of the first aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities is different to the composition of the second aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities. Further provided is apparatus suitable for producing ammonium sulfate crystals.

The present invention provides a continuous process for producing ammonium sulfate crystals, wherein said process comprises: (a) feeding to a first group of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a first aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities; (b) feeding to a second group of crystallization sections, which crystallization sections are heat integrated in series, a second aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities; (c) crystallizing ammonium sulfate crystals in each crystallization section respectively from each of said solutions of ammonium sulfate that contain one or more impurities; (d) purging a fraction of the ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities from each of said crystallization sections; and (e) discharging ammonium sulfate crystals from each crystallization section, characterized in that: (i) both the first group of crystallization sections and the second group of crystallization sections are together heat integrated in one series of crystallization sections; wherein the first group of crystallization sections operates at higher temperature than the second group of crystallization sections; and (ii) the composition of the first aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities is different to the composition of the second aqueous ammonium sulfate solution that contains one or more impurities. Further provided is apparatus suitable for producing ammonium sulfate crystals.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a crystalline ammonium sulfate product, which process comprises: a) subjecting in a crystallizer a feed solution of ammonium sulfate to crystallization to form a first slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals; b) subjecting the first slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals to a first size classification to yield a first coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction and a first fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction; c) recycling at least part of the first fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction to the feed solution of ammonium sulfate; and d) recovering a crystalline ammonium sulfate product from the first coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction, characterized in that: e) a second size classification is carried out on a second slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals to yield a second coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction and a second fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a crystalline ammonium sulfate product, which process comprises: a) subjecting in a crystallizer a feed solution of ammonium sulfate to crystallization to form a first slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals; b) subjecting the first slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals to a first size classification to yield a first coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction and a first fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction; c) recycling at least part of the first fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction to the feed solution of ammonium sulfate; and d) recovering a crystalline ammonium sulfate product from the first coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction, characterized in that: e) a second size classification is carried out on a second slurry of ammonium sulfate crystals to yield a second coarse ammonium sulfate crystal fraction and a second fine ammonium sulfate crystal fraction.