Crystallization of paracetamol in acetone-water mixtures

The influence of solvent composition on the crystallization of paracetamol (4-hydroxyacetanilide) in acetone-water mixtures is investigated. Particle generation and crystal growth kinetics have been studied by batch isothermal desupersaturation experiments at constant solvent composition. The solubility exhibits a very pronounced maximum at approximately 20 wt% water. Nucleation and agglomeration increase with increasing initial supersaturation, but at a given initial supersaturation, the solvent composition has no clear influence on the product particle characteristics. The crystal growth rate is higher in pure acetone than in pure water, but the rate passes through a maximum in a mixture containing 20-25 wt% water. There is a good correlation between crystal growth rate and solubility, even though the growth rate is comparatively high at high water concentrations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.