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Simulated moving bed (SMB) is one of the most successful technologies in chromatographic separation, which is widely used in chemical industry and food industry. There are many parameters that can affect the separation effect of SMB, and the sensitivity is very strong, so the effective control is always a difficulty problem for SMB. In this paper, a self-tuning advanced fuzzy controller is proposed to control the purity of the SMB outlet, and the study finds it has smaller steady-state error and better adaptability of in SMB when compares with the traditional and advance fuzzy type controller.

β-adrenergic antagonists (β-blockers) with at least one chiral center are an exceedingly important class of drugs used mostly to treat cardiovascular diseases. At least 70 β-blockers have been investigated in history. However, only a few β-blockers, e.g., timolol, are clinically marketed as an optically pure enantiomer. Therefore, the separation of racemates of β-blockers is essential both in the laboratory and industry. Many approaches have been explored to obtain the single enantiomeric β-blocker, including high performance liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and simulated moving bed chromatography. In this article, a review is presented on different chromatographic methods applied for the enantioseparation of β-blockers, covering high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB).

In this study, the purification of an extract from Artemisia annua L. using chromatographic methods is studied. In a first step, a screening of different phases and solvents using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed. Then, a laboratory-scale high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and transferred to a pilot scale. A reproducibility study based on 120 injections was carried out. The batch process that was developed and the results from a designed continuous simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography were compared based on characteristic process numbers and economy.

Simulated moving bed chromatography (SMBC) has emerged as a significant separation technology in the process industry. SMB operating parameters are chosen to satisfy various performance objectives such as maximization of purity or productivity and the choice of the objective is generally guided by process economics. From an industrial perspective, the SMB must be operated flexibly, so that the same unit can be operated to satisfy different objectives. Transiting from one objective to another entails large transition periods, resulting in an economic loss. We propose use of optimal transitions as an approach to minimizing transition time, reducing use of feed and desorbent during transition as well as reduction in off-specification product relative to a non-optimal, step change approach. Optimal transitions can also be used in recovering from feed upset scenarios. The above methods are demonstrated using simulations on a benchmark SMBC process for separation of glucose and fructose using Ca++ exchange resin. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An increased commercial interest in fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) has emerged in the last decade due to their prebiotic activity. At large scale, the FOS are produced by microbial enzymes from sucrose. A mixture of FOS and other saccharides is obtained in this process. The presence of such saccharides reduces the prebiotic, caloric and cariogenic value of the final product. Therefore, many efforts have been conducted to obtain a product with increased FOS purity. This review comprises the most important technological and physicochemical aspects including FOS production and recovery processes; safety, dose and health claims concerning its intake; and commercially available FOS., The first author gratefully acknowledges to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portugal) for the PhD Grant received (reference SFRH/BD/32514/2006).

A laboratory-scale simulated moving bed (SMB) was designed and tested for the separation of paclitaxel, a powerful anti-cancer agent known as Taxol@, from impurities of a plant tissue culture (PTC) broth. The innovative strategy of a pseudo-binary model, where mixtures A and B were treated as single solutes A and B, was used in the linear standing wave analysis to fix the SMB operating parameters for a multicomponent and complex system. Linear standing wave design was used to specify the zone flow rates and the switching time for the laboratory-scale SMB unit, with two steps of separation. The SMB consists of four packed columns, where each column is 12.5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter. Two sequential separation steps were used to recover paclitaxel from a small feed batch (less than one liter). Placlitaxel was recovered from the complex plant tissue culture broth in 82% yield and 72% purity.

S'han creat les eines necessàries per a estudiar la viabilitat de dur a terme la separació de mescles de dos i tres components basats en un mètode de separació en continu tipus SMB. Amb aquesta finalitat, s'ha creat un sistema per al disseny ràpid i econòmic de separadors SMB que permet simular el comportament d'una columna qualsevol integrada en un sistema SMB. Aquest sistema, està constituït per una sola columna cromatogràfica que pot treballar en qualsevol de les quatre zones en què es pot dividir un SMB.El sistema de control de l'instrument permet simular cicles complets de separadors SMB. A més, el programa també permet treballar amb separacions formalment binàries o ternàries, en conformacions de SMB de 4, 6 i 8 columnes i combinació d'elles agrupades en 4 zones de treball. El sistema també integra un programa de simulació numèrica i optimització de separadors SMB. La combinació del programa i el sistema de disseny de SMB permet establir la variació de la concentració de cada substància amb el temps podent així determinar: el nombre de columnes per zona, el temps de canvi de cada columna, el cabal d'operació a cada zona i la concentració de cada substància per cada sortida de l'SMB.Per tal de verificar el correcte funcionament de l'equip complet s'ha dut a terme la separació de dos components, fenol i triclorofenol, determinant-ne les condicions òptimes de separació. Tot i que la retenció entre aquestes dues substàncies és molt similar, el prototipus ha permès estudiar el comportament de la unitat SMB complerta. També s'ha estudiat la separació del p-aminofenol i l'o-aminofenol com a part integrant del procés de fabricació del paracetamol i se n'han trobat les condicions òptimes d'operació. En treballar amb aquest procés s'ha buscat la màxima puresa del p-aminofenol en detriment de la puresa de l'o-aminofenol aconseguint una puresa de p-aminofenol a la sortida refinat del 97%. Finalment, i des del punt de vista del canvi d'escala, s'han determinat els valors de la longitud no utilitzada de rebliment i del coeficient global de transferència de matèria per tal de poder extrapolar els resultats del prototipus a escala industrial., Se han creado las herramientas necesarias para estudiar la viabilidad de desarrollar separaciones de mezclas de 2 y 3 componentes basados en un método de separación en continuo tipo SMB. Con esta finalidad se ha creado un sistema para el diseño rápido y económico de separadores SMB que permite simular el comportamiento de una columna cualquiera integrada en un sistema SMB. Este sistema está constituido por una única columna cromatográfica que puede trabajar en cualquiera de las cuatro zonas en que se puede dividir un SMB.El sistema de control del instrumento permite simular ciclos completos de separadores SMB. Además, el programa también permite trabajar con separaciones formalmente binarias o ternarias, en conformaciones de SMB de 4, 6 y 8 columnas y combinación de ellas agrupadas en 4 zonas de trabajo. El sistema también integra un programa de simulación numérica y optimización de separadores SMB. La combinación del programa y el sistema de diseño de SMB permite establecer la variación de la concentración de cada sustancia con el tiempo pudiendo así determinar: el número de columnas por zona, el tiempo de cambio de cada columna, el caudal de operación en cada zona y la concentración de cada sustancia por cada salida del SMB. Para verificar el correcto funcionamiento del equipo completo se ha separado una mezcla de dos compuestos, fenol y triclorofenol, determinando las condiciones óptimas de separación. Aunque la retención entre estas dos sustancias es muy similar, el prototipo ha permitido estudiar el comportamiento de la unidad SMB completa. También se ha estudiado la separación del p-aminofenol y el o-aminofenol como parte integrante del proceso de fabricación del paracetamol y se han determinado las condiciones óptimas de operación. Al trabajar con este proceso se ha buscado la máxima pureza del p-aminofenol con menoscabo de la pureza del o-aminofenol consiguiendo una pureza de p-aminofenol a la salida de refinado del 97%. Finalmente se han determinado los valores de la longitud de lecho no utilizada y del coeficiente global de transferencia de materia para extrapolar los resultados del prototipo a escala industrial., The necessary tools to study the viability of developing separations of mixtures of 2 and 3 components using a continuous method like the SMB have been developed. A fast and non-expensive system to design such separations has been developed. This system can simulate the behaviour of a single column integrated in the SMB. This system is composed by a single column capable to work in every one of the four zones into which an SMB can be divided. The control system gives the possibility of simulate complete cycles of an SMB separator. In addition the program also can work with binary or ternary separations, in SMB conformations of 4, 6 and 8 columns and its combinations grouped together in 4 working zones. The system also integrates a numerical simulation and optimization program of SMB separators. The combination of program and SMB design system establishes the concentration of each substance within the time. It gives the following parameters: the number of columns per zone, the column switch time, the flow in each zone and the concentration at the SMB outlet. In order to check the correct operation of the whole unit the separation of phenol and trichlorophenol have been done determining the best operation conditions. However the retention of this substances is very similar, the prototype has studied the complete separation. It also has been studied the separation of p-aminophenol and o-aminophenol as a part of the sysntesis process os paracetamole and the best separation condition have been stablished. While working with this process the maximum purity of p-aminophenol has been searched. The purity of p-aminophenol at the raffinate outlet is about 97%. Finally the values of unused bed lenght and overall mass transfer coefficient have been calculated to extrapolate the results to the industrial scale.

The simulated moving bed (SMB) technology has attracted considerable attention for its efficiency as a chromatographic adsorptive separation. It has been increasingly applied to the separation of binary mixtures with low separation factors, namely to separate isomers. Although quite a vast amount of information has been published concerning the simulation and design of operating conditions of existing SMB plants, fewer works have addressed the question of design and optimisation of geometric parameters and operating conditions of a new adsorber, especially when mass transfer resistances are significant. The present work extends an algorithm developed elsewhere to design SMB equipment and optimize its operating conditions and applies it to the case of fructose-glucose separation using a cation-exchange resin as stationary phase in order to obtain nearly pure fructose in the extract and glucose in the raffinate. The constraints were set as 99% purity for both products. The objective function was chosen to be the adsorbent productivity. The algorithm attempted to find the minimum column lengths for increasing throughputs, which met the required purity constraint. Then, the best construction parameters and operating conditions were chosen as those for which the adsorbent productivity was maximum. The effects of the safety margins applied on the velocity ratios in sections 1 and 4 were examined and a heuristic rule for optimum eluent flowrate was derived. The effect of the purity requirements was also investigated. Finally, the calculated optimal operating points, in terms of flowrate ratios in SMB sections 2 and 3, were analysed in the frame of the equilibrium theory. Sound coherence was verified, which confirmed the accuracy and adequacy of the extended algorithm for the design and optimisation of a SMB adsorber with strong mass transfer effects.

International audience; In this paper, a state observer is proposed for the reconstruction of the concentration profiles in a simulated moving bed. The approach is based on a simple Luenberger-like correction term. The observer is used under the assumption that the flow rates are constant during each switching period. The matrix gain of the correction term may then be re-computed at the beginning of each switching period corresponding to flow rates being changed by the controller. Validating simulations are proposed to assess the effi- ciency of the proposed profile reconstruction and its robustness against uncertainties on modelling parameters. Comparisons are also done with open-loop simulation based-observer in order to strengthen the relevance of the correction term.