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... methods mentioned above, recrystallization is a separation process. If successfully applied, it will result in the concentration of one component of a mixture in one phase, the solid phase - as crystals, while leaving the other components, the impurities, in a readily separable phase - a liquid solution. The net result is thus the removal of contaminants from a solid material which was originally a component of a mixture. The basic steps in any recrystallization are, at least in principle, 1) the entire mixture is dissolved in an appropriate solvent at an elevated temperature; 2) the resulting solution is allowed to cool, during which time the desired component crystallizes out of solution as a crystalline solid; 3) the desired solid is separated from the solution by filtration. Any impurity-containing solution adhering to the crystals can often be removed at this point as well by use of a suitable wash solvent. ...