CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR OBTAINING A CRYSTALLINE MONOSACCHARIDE AND DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS CRYSTALLIZATION

Abstract

The invention relates to a continuous method for obtaining a crystalline monosaccharide, comprising: continuous crystallization of the monosaccharide in a main crystallizer (10), wherein crystallization by evaporation and/or crystallization by cooling is carried out continuously on a crystal suspension in the main crystallizer in order to allow crystals of the monosaccharide to grow in the crystal suspension; separation of crystals of the monosaccharide out of the crystal suspension to obtain crystalline monosaccharide; continuous formation of a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) in a cascade, wherein the cascade comprises at least one first stage (13) and a final stage (15) connected in series and each stage comprises at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 15A), wherein, in the at least one pre-crystallizer (13A) of the first stage (13), a solution is seeded with monosaccharide by means of monosaccharide seed crystals in order to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage (14, 15) is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of crystallization by cooling and/or crystallization by evaporation, and wherein a solution containing monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage is supplied to the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and in the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) is formed from the pre-crystallisation magma by means of crystallization by cooling and/or crystallization by evaporation; the continuous supply of a solution containing the monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) of the cascade to the main crystallizer (10) to provide the crystal suspension.

Claims

1. A continuous method for obtaining a crystalline monosaccharide, comprising: continuously crystallizing the monosaccharide in a main crystallizer (10), wherein, in the main crystallizer (10), an evaporation crystallization and/or cooling crystallization is carried out continuously on a crystal suspension in order to allow crystals of the monosaccharide to grow in the crystal suspension, separating crystals of the monosaccharide out of the crystal suspension to obtain crystalline monosaccharide, continuously forming of a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) in a cascade, wherein the cascade comprises at least one first stage (13) and a final stage (15) connected in series, and each stage comprises at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 15A), wherein, in the at least one pre-crystallizer (13A) of the first stage (13), a solution is seeded with monosaccharide by means of monosaccharide seed crystals in order to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage (14, 15) is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization and/or evaporation crystallization, and wherein a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage is supplied to the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and, in the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15), a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10) is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of evaporation crystallization and/or cooling crystallization; continuously supplying a solution containing the monosaccharide, and a mass of crystallization magma from the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) of the cascade to the main crystallizer (10) in order to provide the crystal suspension.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each stage (13, 14, 15) of the cascade comprises a single pre-crystallizer (13A, 14A, 15A), and in the pre-crystallizer (13A, 14A, 15A) of each stage (13, 14, 15), a mass of crystallization magma is continuously formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of evaporation crystallization.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each stage (13, 14, 15) comprises two to three pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C), and in the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of each stage (13, 14, 15), a mass of crystallization magma is formed from the pre-crystallization magma discontinuously by means of cooling crystallization and/or continuously by means of evaporation crystallization, wherein the mass of crystallization magma continuously supplied to the main crystallizer (10), when being formed discontinuously by cooling crystallization, is alternatingly supplied from the pre-crystallizers (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one stage (13, 14, 15) comprises more than one pre-crystallizer, and the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of the same stage (13, 14, 15) each form the same mass of crystallization magma.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass of crystallization magma formed in a pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of one stage (14, 15), exceeds the mass of crystallization magma formed in a pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of the upstream stage (13, 14), by the factor of 2 to 12, preferably 4 to 7.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cascade comprises between the first (13) and the final stage (15) one to eight, preferably one to three, most preferred one further stage (14) or stages connected in series, wherein the further stage (14) or the further stages in each case includes or include at least one pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B), into which a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage (13) are supplied, so as to obtain pre-crystallization magma, and wherein in the at least one pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B) of each further stage (14), a mass of crystallization magma is formed for the downstream stage (15) discontinuously from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization and/or continuously by means of evaporation crystallization.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monosaccharide seed crystals have an average diameter of 5 to 50 μm, preferably 10 to 20 μm.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a temperature gradient of the crystal suspension is adjusted over the length of the main crystallizer (10) from 70 to 15° C., and preferably from 45 to 25° C., and/or the dwell time of the crystal suspension in the main crystallizer (10) is 30 to 70 hours.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content of each pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C), preferably one or more solutions, suspensions, pre-crystallization magma and/or crystallization magma, is driven by a stirrer having a specific power input of 0.1 to 4 kW/m.sup.3, preferably 0.5 to 2.0 kW/m.sup.3.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solution containing the monosaccharide, and a mass of crystallization magma is supplied to the main crystallizer (10) in a mass ratio of 1:5 to 1:20, preferably 1:7 to 1:11.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solution with monosaccharide for the pre-crystallizers has an oversaturation of 0 to 60%, and/or the solution containing the monosaccharide, when being supplied into the main crystallizer (10), is oversaturated.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass of crystallization magma, when being supplied into the main crystallizer (10), has a crystal content of 1 to 5% (% by weight) and/or an average particle diameter of 50 to 150 μm.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for obtaining crystalline monosaccharide, crystals of the monosaccharide having an average diameter of 200 to 400 μm and/or a purity of >99% are preferably separated.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-crystallization magma in the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) and/or the crystal suspension in the main crystallizer (10) is cooled by 0.1 to 5.0 K/h.

15. A device for obtaining a crystalline monosaccharide, in particular for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising: a main crystallizer (10) with means for continuously carrying out an evaporation crystallization and/or a cooling crystallization on a crystal suspension for generating crystal growth of crystalline monosaccharide in the crystal suspension, means for separating crystals of the monosaccharide from the crystal suspension, a cascade for continuously forming a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer, wherein the cascade comprises: at least one first stage (13) and a final stage (15) connected in series, each having at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B, 15A, 15B, 15C), means for seeding a solution with monosaccharide by means of monosaccharide seed crystals in at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B) of the first stage (13) in order to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and means for carrying out a cooling crystallization and/or evaporation crystallization on the pre-crystallization magma in the at least one pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B) of the first stage (13) for forming a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage, and means for supplying a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage to the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) to obtain a pre-crystallization magma, and means for carrying out a cooling crystallization and/or evaporation crystallization on the pre-crystallization magma in the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage for forming a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer (10); means for continuously supplying a solution containing the monosaccharide, and a mass of crystallization magma from the at least one pre-crystallizer (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) of the cascade into the main crystallizer (10) for forming the crystal suspension.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein each stage (13, 14, 15) comprises a single pre-crystallizer (13A, 14A, 15A), and the cascade comprises means for continuously forming a mass of crystallization magma from the pre-crystallization magma by means of evaporation crystallization in the pre-crystallizers (13A, 14A, 15A).

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein each stage (13, 14, 15) comprises two to three pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C), and the cascade comprises means for forming a mass of crystallization magma from the pre-crystallization magma discontinuously by means of cooling crystallization and/or for forming a mass of crystallization magma continuously by means of evaporation crystallization in the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of each stage (14, 14, 15), and comprises means for continuously supplying a mass of crystallization magma continuously, when being formed discontinuously by means of cooling crystallization, alternatingly from the pre-crystallizers (15A, 15B, 15C) of the final stage (15) to the main crystallizer.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein at least one stage (13, 14, 15) comprises more than one pre-crystallizer (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C), and the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) of the same stage each include means for forming the same mass of crystallization magma.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B,15A, 15B, 15C) are formed such that the mass of crystallization magma formed in the pre-crystallizers increases starting from the first stage (13) by the factor of 2 to 12, preferably 4 to 7 with each stage (14, 15).

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein the cascade comprises between the first (13) and the final stage (15) one to eight, preferably one to three, most preferred one further stage (14) or stages connected in series, wherein the further stage (14) or the further stages in each case includes or include at least one pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B), and the cascade includes means for supplying into the at least one pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B) of each further stage (14) a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage (13), so as to obtain pre-crystallization magma, and the cascade comprises means for forming in the at least one pre-crystallizer (14A, 14B) of each further stage a mass of crystallization magma for the downstream stage discontinuously from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization and/or continuously by means of evaporation crystallization.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein the device comprises means for providing monosaccharide seed crystals having an average diameter of 5 to 50 μm, preferably, 10 to 20 μm.

22. The device according to claim 15, wherein the main crystallizer (10) has means for adjusting a temperature gradient of the crystal suspension over the length of the main crystallizer (10) from 70 to 15° C., and preferably from 45 to 25° C.

23. The device according to claim 15, wherein the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) each include a stirrer having a specific power input of 0.1 to 4.0 kW/m.sup.3, preferably 0.5 to 2.0 kW/m.sup.3.

24. The device according to claim 15, wherein the means for continuously supplying a solution containing the monosaccharide, and for continuously supplying a mass of crystallization magma into the main crystallizer (10) are configured such that the solution containing the monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma are supplied to the main crystallizer (10) in a mass ratio of 1:5 to 1:20, preferably 1:7 to 1:11.

25. The device according to claim 15, wherein the device comprises means for cooling the pre-crystallization magma in the pre-crystallizers (13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, 15C) and/or the crystal suspension in the main crystallizer (10) by 0.1 to 5.0 K/h.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monosaccharide is a monosaccharide, in particular a hexulose, a hexose, a pentose or a tetrose having a melting point of 90 to 165° C., wherein the monosaccharide particularly preferred is a hexulose, in particular psicose (allulose), in particular d-psicose.

Description

[0101] The invention will be explained on the basis of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the Figures.

[0102] Shown are in:

[0103] FIG. 1 a main crystallizer according to a device of the present invention and in a method of the present invention;

[0104] FIG. 2 a main crystallizer and pre-crystallizers in a cascade with three stages each having a pre-crystallizer according to a device of the present invention and in a method of the present invention;

[0105] FIG. 3 a main crystallizer and pre-crystallizers in a cascade with three stages each having several pre-crystallizers according to a device of the present invention and in a method of the present invention.

[0106] FIG. 1 shows a main crystallizer 10 in a device according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention. In this example, the solution containing the monosaccharide and the solution with monosaccharide are identical, i.e. they contain the same integral parts in equal quantities. The solution is concentrated in an evaporation station.

[0107] The main crystallizer 10 includes injection points 2 for a solution containing the monosaccharide. The injection points 2 are distributed along the height of the main crystallizer 10 and across the circumference of the main crystallizer 10. In this example, four injection points at the same height form an injection ring. Eight of such injection rings are distributed over the height of the main crystallizer 10. The valves are clocked such that all of the injection points of one injection ring are opened or closed.

[0108] Into the top of the main crystallizer 10, a mass of crystallization magma is introduced from a line 3 of the final stage of the cascade together with a solution containing the monosaccharide from a line 4.

[0109] In this example, the main crystallizer 10 includes eight separate heat exchangers 5 in its interior for adjusting a temperature profile. The heat exchangers 5 are distributed over the height of the main crystallizer 10 and are each supplied via a water circuit for heating/cooling the crystal suspension. The flow rate and temperature of the water of the circuit are controlled so that the product temperature/the temperature profile can be influenced in a controlled manner.

[0110] From the main crystallizer 10, a discharge line 6 leads to a centrifuge station in which crystals of the monosaccharide are separated from the crystal suspension.

[0111] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention. In a main crystallizer 10, cooling crystallization is continuously carried out on a crystal suspension in order to allow crystalline monosaccharide to grow in the crystal suspension. The main crystallizer 10 is a vertical cooling crystallizer having oscillating cooling pipe bundles. Crystal suspension is continuously discharged from the main crystallizer 10, and in a centrifuge station 11, grown crystals of the monosaccharide are separated from the crystal suspension in order to obtain crystalline monosaccharide. The main crystallizer 10 is continuously supplied with a solution containing the monosaccharide, and a mass of a crystallization magma in order to provide the crystal suspension. The crystallization magma originates from a cascade for continuously forming a mass of crystallization magma.

[0112] In this example, the solution containing the monosaccharide and the solution with monosaccharide are identical, i.e. they contain the same integral parts in equal quantities. In this example, a solution containing the monosaccharide and the solution with monosaccharide, respectively, having a dry substance concentration of 82% and a temperature of 40° C. are provided in an evaporation station 12. This solution containing the monosaccharide is thus supplied to the pre-crystallizers 13A, 14A, 15A and the main crystallizer 10.

[0113] The cascade comprises three stages 13, 14, 15 connected in series, each having one pre-crystallizer 13A, 14A, 15A. In each pre-crystallizer 13A, 14A, 15A, evaporation crystallization is continuously carried out. Into the pre-crystallizer 15A of the final stage 15, a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma from the upstream stage 14 are supplied in order to obtain pre-crystallization magma. In the pre-crystallizer 15A of the final stage 15, a mass of crystallization magma is then formed for the main crystallizer 10 from the pre-crystallization magma by means of evaporation crystallization.

[0114] In the pre-crystallizer 13A of the first stage 13, the solution with monosaccharide is seeded with a seed suspension (the slurry) 16 with monosaccharide seed crystals of an average crystal diameter of 13 μm in order to obtain pre-crystallization magma. The seed suspension (the slurry) with monosaccharide seed crystals has a crystal content of 20% by weight and a temperature of 20° C. and is supplied at a rate of 0.30 l/h or 0.43 kg/h. A solution with monosaccharide is supplied to the pre-crystallizer 13A at a rate of 2.7 l/h. The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 2.1% by weight. A mass of crystallization magma for the pre-crystallizer 14A of the downstream medium stage 14 is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of evaporation crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizer 13A of the first stage 13 is 0.15 m.sup.3, exhaust vapors 17 are discharged at a temperature of 63° C. at a rate of 0.2 kg/h. The dwell time in the pre-crystallizer 13A is 43.4 h. A mass of crystallization magma is supplied to the pre-crystallizer 14A of the medium stage 14 at a rate of 2.7 l/h, a temperature of 63° C., an average crystal diameter of 30 μm, and a crystal content of 27% by weight. A solution with monosaccharide is also supplied to this pre-crystallizer 14A at a rate of 21.4 l/h.

[0115] The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 3.2% by weight and a temperature of 42.7° C. From the pre-crystallization magma, a mass of crystallization magma for the pre-crystallizer 15A of the downstream final stage 15 is formed by means of evaporation crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizer 14A of the medium stage 14 is 1.0 m.sup.3, exhaust vapors 17 are discharged at a temperature of 65° C. at a rate of 1.8 kg/h. The dwell time is 40.0 h, and a mass of crystallization magma of 21.8 l/h having a temperature of 65° C., an average crystal diameter of 60 μm, and a crystal content of 27% by weight is supplied to the pre-crystallizer 15A of the final stage 15. A solution with monosaccharide is also supplied to the pre-crystallizer 15A at a rate of 208 l/h.

[0116] The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 2.7% by weight and a temperature of 42.5° C. From the pre-crystallization magma, a mass of crystallization magma for main crystallizer 10 is formed by means of evaporation crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizer 15A of the final stage 15 is 6.0 m.sup.3, exhaust vapors 17 are discharged at a temperature of 70° C. at a rate of 14 kg/h. The dwell time is 26.7 h, and a mass of crystallization magma of 209 l/h having a temperature of 70° C., an average crystal diameter of 120 μm, and a crystal content of 22.5% by weight is supplied to the main crystallizer 10. A solution with monosaccharide, which here is identical to the solution containing the monosaccharide, is also supplied to the main crystallizer 10 at a rate of 1990 l/h.

[0117] The mixture results in a crystal suspension having a crystal content of 2.2% by weight and a temperature of 43.0° C. By means of cooling crystallization, crystalline monosaccharide is formed in the crystal suspension, but above all, crystals of crystalline monosaccharide are growing. The net volume of the main crystallizer 10 is 157.0 m.sup.3. The dwell time is 73.0 h. During this time, the crystal suspension is cooled by 0.3 K/h. The crystal suspension having the crystalline monosaccharide formed is supplied to a centrifuge station 11 at a rate of 2100 l/h having a temperature of 19° C., an average crystal diameter of 300 μm, and a crystal content of 35.3% by weight. There, crystals of the monosaccharide are separated by centrifugation, and thus, crystalline monosaccharide is obtained.

[0118] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the invention. In a main crystallizer 10, cooling crystallization is continuously carried out on a crystal suspension in order to allow monosaccharide crystals to grow in the crystal suspension. The main crystallizer 10 is a vertical cooling crystallizer having oscillating cooling pipe bundles. Crystal suspension is continuously discharged from the main crystallizer 10, and in a centrifuge station 11, (grown) crystals of the monosaccharide are separated from the crystal suspension in order to obtain crystalline monosaccharide. To the main crystallizer 10, a solution containing the monosaccharide, and a mass of a crystallization magma is continuously supplied in order to obtain a crystal solution. The crystallization magma originates from a cascade for continuously forming a mass of crystallization magma.

[0119] In this example, the solution containing the monosaccharide and the solution with monosaccharide are identical, i.e. they contain the same integral parts in equal quantities. In this example, a solution containing the monosaccharide and the solution with monosaccharide, respectively, having a dry substance concentration of 82% and a temperature of 41° C., are provided in an evaporation station 12. This solution containing the monosaccharide is thus supplied to the pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, and 15C, and the main crystallizer 10.

[0120] The cascade comprises three stages 13, 14, 15 connected in series, wherein the first stage 13 has two pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B, the medium stage 14 has two pre-crystallizers 14A, 14B, and the final stage 15 has three pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C. In each pre-crystallizer 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B and 15C, cooling crystallization is carried out discontinuously. Into the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B and 15C of the final stage 15, a solution with monosaccharide and a mass of crystallization magma are supplied from the upstream stage 14 in order to obtain pre-crystallization magma. In the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B and 15C of the final stage 15, a mass of crystallization magma for the main crystallizer 10 is then formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization. The cooling crystallization in the three pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B and 15C of the final stage 15 proceeds in each case discontinuously. But the cooling crystallization in the three pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B and 15C is activated such that crystallization magma can always be supplied into the main crystallizer 10 from a pre-crystallizer so that a continuous supply of crystallization magma into the main crystallizer is guaranteed. At the same time, the other pre-crystallizers can be cleaned or filled.

[0121] In the two pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B of the first stage 13, a solution with monosaccharide is seeded with a seed suspension (a slurry) 16 with monosaccharide seed crystals of an average crystal diameter of 13 μm in order to obtain pre-crystallization magma. The seed suspension (the slurry) 16 with monosaccharide seed crystals has a crystal content of 20% by weight and a temperature of 20° C. and is supplied to the pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B at a rate of 0.30 l/h or 0.43 kg/h in total. The solution with monosaccharide is supplied to the pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B at a rate of 2.6 l/h in total. The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 2.2% by weight. A mass of crystallization magma for the two pre-crystallizers 14A, 14B of the downstream medium stage 14 is formed from the pre-crystallization magma by means of cooling crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B of the first stage 13 is in each case 0.070 m.sup.3. The dwell time in the pre-crystallizers 13A, 13B is 43.3 h, the cooling rate 0.3 K/h. A mass of crystallization magma is supplied to the pre-crystallizers 14A, 14B of the medium stage 14 at a rate of 2.7 l/h in total, a temperature of 27° C., an average crystal diameter of 30 μm, and a crystal content of 27% by weight. A solution with monosaccharide is also supplied to these pre-crystallizers 14A at a rate of 20.1 l/h in total.

[0122] The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 3.4% by weight and a temperature of 40.0° C. From the pre-crystallization magma, a mass of crystallization magma for the three pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C of the downstream final stage 15 is formed by means of cooling crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizers 14A, 14B of the medium stage 14 is in each case 0.50 m.sup.3. The dwell time in the pre-crystallizers 14A, 14B of the medium stage 14 is 40.0 h, the cooling rate is 0.3 K/h. A mass of crystallization magma of 21.8 l/h in total having a temperature of 28° C., an average crystal diameter of 60 μm, and a crystal content of 27% by weight is supplied to the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C of the final stage 15. A solution with monosaccharide is also supplied to the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C of the final stage 15 at a rate of 197 l/h in total.

[0123] The mixture results in a pre-crystallization magma having a crystal content of 2.8 by weight and a temperature of 40.0° C. From the pre-crystallization magma, a mass of crystallization magma for main crystallizer 10 is formed by means of cooling crystallization. The net volume of the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C of the final stage 15 is in each case 2.2 m.sup.3. The dwell time in the pre-crystallizers 15A, 15B, 15C of the final stage is 26.7 h, the cooling rate is 0.3 K/h. A mass of crystallization magma is supplied to the main crystallizer 10 at a rate of 209 l/h having a temperature of 32° C., an average crystal diameter of 120 μm, and a crystal content of 22.5% by weight. A solution with monosaccharide, which here is identical to the solution containing the monosaccharide, is also supplied to the main crystallizer 10 at a rate of 1990 l/h.

[0124] The mixture results in a crystal suspension having a crystal content of 2.2% by weight and a temperature of 40.0° C. By means of cooling crystallization, crystalline monosaccharide is formed in the crystal suspension. The net volume of the main crystallizer 10 is 157.0 m.sup.3. The dwell time is 73.0 h. During this time, the crystal suspension is cooled by 0.3 K/h. Crystal suspension having the crystalline monosaccharide formed is supplied to a centrifuge station 11 at a rate of 2100 l/h having a temperature of 19° C., an average crystal diameter of 300 μm, and a crystal content of 35.0% by weight. There, crystalline monosaccharide is separated and obtained by centrifugation.

[0125] In the examples, the purity of the crystals is >99%. The density of the solution with monosaccharide is about 1.36 kg/l. The density of the crystallization magma is about 1.44 kg/l. In the examples, each pre-crystallizer includes a stirrer having a specific power input of 0.5 to 2.0 kW/m.sup.3.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0126] 2 injection points

[0127] 3 line for a mass of crystallization magma

[0128] 4 line for a solution containing the monosaccharide

[0129] 5 heat exchanger

[0130] 6 discharge line to a centrifuge station

[0131] 10 main crystallizer

[0132] 11 centrifuge station

[0133] 12 evaporation station

[0134] 13 first stage of the cascade

[0135] 13A, 13B pre-crystallizer(s) of the first stage

[0136] 14 second, further stage of the cascade

[0137] 14A, 14B pre-crystallizer(s) of the second stage

[0138] 15 final stage of the cascade

[0139] 15A, 15B, 15C pre-crystallizer(s) of the final stage

[0140] 16 seed suspension (slurry)

[0141] 17 exhaust vapors