Dual switch simulated moving bed chromatography: An optimal two-fraction yielding separation process

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Separation Science
• Chromatography

Background:

• Conventional Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography (C-SMBC) operates at a single point, yielding one extract and one raffinate fraction.
• This limits the achievable purity and recovery trade-offs in complex separations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and analyze the Dual Switch Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography (DS-SMBC) process.
• To investigate the potential for enhanced average extract purity using DS-SMBC compared to C-SMBC.
• To elucidate the working principle and trade-offs associated with DS-SMBC.

Main Methods:

• Developed a multi-objective optimization framework for DS-SMBC.
• Analyzed separation performance for both linear and non-linear isotherms.
• Case studies included fructose-glucose separation and enantiomeric separation of Tröger's base.

Main Results:

• DS-SMBC can achieve higher average extract purity for one fraction compared to C-SMBC.
• This improvement comes with a trade-off in the purity of the second extract fraction.
• Optimization results confirmed the working principle and trade-offs for DS-SMBC.

Conclusions:

• DS-SMBC provides greater flexibility and potential for higher purity separations than C-SMBC.
• The process allows for tailored separation outcomes by managing two operating points.
• Understanding the trade-offs is crucial for optimizing DS-SMBC performance.