The invention relates to a process for obtaining an
amino acid in crystalline form, from a salt of said
amino acid in
aqueous solution, in the presence of
carbon dioxide under pressure, said process being carried out in a
forced circulation crystallizer (1), the latter comprising a chamber (2) having a lower part (3) and an upper part (4), the lower part (3) containing an aqueous
liquid medium (6) comprising the
amino acid and the upper part (4) containing
carbon dioxide under pressure (7), and an
external circuit (8) to this chamber (2) supplied with
aqueous solution of said amino acid (5) and bringing it into the upper part (4) of the chamber (2), said
external circuit (8) being connected to the chamber (2) from an outlet (9) located in the lower position of the chamber (2) to at least one inlet (10, 17) located in the upper position of the chamber (2), passing through a
heat exchanger (11),said process comprising the following steps: the
forced circulation crystallizer (1) is supplied with
aqueous solution (5) of said salt, through at least one inlet (12, 12') in the
external circuit (8) opening into the upper part (4) of the chamber (2) via the inlet (10); the aqueous solution (5) of said salt arriving in the upper part (4) of the chamber (2) from at least the inlet (10,17) by means of a
distributor (13) emitting downward jets (14) towards the lower part (3) of the chamber (2);
carbon dioxide is injected into the external circuit (8) and / or into the upper part (4) of the chamber (2) to obtain a pressurized carbon dioxide environment in the upper part (4) above the aqueous
liquid medium (6); a juice containing the amino acid in crystalline form is collected at the bottom of the chamber (2) and conveyed to a purification module (15), and a juice substantially free of amino acid in crystalline form is drawn off and recirculated into the external circuit (8); and said amino acid is obtained in crystalline form in the purification module (15).