Simulated Moving Bed chromatography - The next step in HPLC

Abstract

Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology, a continuous chromatographic separation process, is of increasing interest in the field of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and biotechnology. The complexity of SMB asks for a deeper understanding of the mathematical design and physical adsorption processes, along with the practical training in chromatography and process engineering. This makes SMB a technology which is also suitable for educational purposes. The principle of SMB separation is described with a short introduction of its mathematical design for a simulation. A method of measuring the adsorption isotherms, which are crucial for a process simulation, is also discussed. As an example, the application of SMB to the separation of two groups of biologically important vitamin E compounds, i.e. tocopherols and tocotrienols from natural-source material is presented. © Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft.