Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.106, No.8, 1954-1959, 2002
Nucleation control in solution mediated polymorphic phase transformations: The case of 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid
This contribution describes the kinetics of the solution mediated phase transformation between forms I and 2 of dihydroxybenzoic acid. It is shown how a combination of kinetic, morphological, and modeling data can be used to give a full description of the rate-determining process in such a trails formation. Surprisingly, secondary nucleation is found to dominate the kinetic processes. Such a phenomenon is well-known in continuous crystallization but is reported here for the first time in a polymorphic phase trans formation. This observation has significant consequences for process and product control in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals industries.