Particle design Part A: Nucleation kinetics of ketoprofen

This work is part of a study of the spherical crystallization process by the quasi-emulsion method. The induction time of ketoprofen in acetone + ketoprofen solutions and in solutions of acetone + water + ketoprofen have been experimentally determined. Ketoprofen presents a large metastable zone in the case of primary nucleation and a very narrow metastable zone in the case of secondary nucleation. The rate of primary nucleation in pure acetone has been measured and is correlated by the equation 1.0 × 1036 exp (-2.68 × 106/T3 × ln2S) (in number m3 s−1). The physico-chemical properties—phase diagram of the system acetone + water + ketoprofen involved in the process-are given. An experiment to study crystallization into a droplet is presented.