Form Selection of Concomitant Polymorphs: A Case Study Informed by
Crystallization Kinetics Modeling
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms and process kinetics of crystallizing concomitant
polymorphs remain poorly understood. Solvent-mediated phase
transformation is often mistaken as concomitant crystallization, mainly
due to the two processes sharing similar kinetic profiles. Herein, we
developed a population balance model to simulate a concomitant
crystallization process of two polymorphs of tolfenamic acid (TFA). The
kinetic modeling aims to better understand concomitant crystallization
and help guide form selection of such a molecular system.
Crystallization kinetics of ethanolic TFA solutions were uncovered from
induction time measurements, as well as seeded and unseeded
crystallization experiments. Both experimental and simulation results
demonstrate that the stable form I crystallizes concomitantly with the
metastable form II. The faster growing form II results in an
intermediate decline in the kinetic profile of form I composition in
crystallized samples, a characteristic feature of the concomitantly
crystallized system. A four-quadrant scheme of attainable polymorph
outcome was simulated under various crystallization conditions.