Preparative chromatography with supercritical fluids. Comparison of simulated moving bed and batch processes

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Green Chemistry
• Separation Science

Background:

• Preparative chromatography is crucial for fine chemical separation.
• Supercritical fluids offer an environmentally friendly alternative to organic solvents in chromatography.
• Green chemistry principles emphasize sustainable and eco-friendly chemical production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the economic viability and productivity of Batch-supercritical fluid chromatography (Batch-SFC) and simulated moving bed (SMB)-SFC processes.
• To optimize separation systems for specific productivity in SFC.
• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Batch-SFC versus SMB-SFC for industrial-scale fine chemical separation.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of Batch-SFC and SMB-SFC processes.
• Optimization of separation systems based on specific productivity.
• Economic analysis considering minimum product price and production rates.
• Investigation using four model systems for fine chemical separation.

Main Results:

• For three out of four model systems, SMB-SFC demonstrated significantly higher specific productivity than Batch-SFC.
• Despite higher specific productivity, SMB-SFC was not always the more economical process.
• Batch-SFC was found to be the more profitable process within the investigated production rate range (0.4–5 t/a).

Conclusions:

• The choice between Batch-SFC and SMB-SFC depends on economic factors beyond specific productivity.
• Batch-SFC can be more profitable than SMB-SFC for certain production scales, even with lower specific productivity.
• Supercritical fluid chromatography presents a viable and potentially economical approach for sustainable fine chemical production.