The invention relates to a method for separating a mixture in a system comprising a plurality of chromatography columns, the method successively comprising, in a cyclical manner, in a given part of the system, steps of collecting a raffinate, injecting the mixture to be separated, collecting an extract and injecting a mobile phase; wherein the method further comprises measuring the purity and/or yield of a collected fraction, comprising: the determination, in a node of the system, of the histories of at least two variables that are representative of the concentration of at least two species contained in the mixture to be separated using at least one fast online detector; the determination of the concentration of at least two species of the mixture to be separated in the collected fraction based on these histories; and the determination of the purity and/or yield of the collected fraction based on these concentrations.

A rotary valve comprising a stator and a rotor wherein the stator comprises at least three inlet primary connection ports, at least three outlet primary connection ports, at least three inlet secondary connection ports and at least three outlet secondary connection ports, and wherein rotor interconnection paths are arranged to in the different rotor positions interconnect the inlet primary connection ports with the inlet secondary connection ports and the outlet primary connection ports with the outlet secondary connection ports such that all of at least three inlet secondary connection ports can be connected one at the time to each of at least three inlet primary connection port and all of at least three outlet secondary connection ports can be connected one at the time to each of at least three outlet primary connection port by rotating the rotor into the different rotor positions. A chromatography system comprising at least three chromatography columns, a rotary valve connected to the inlets of at least three columns in the system and to at least three inflows and connected to the outlets of at least three columns in the system and to at least three outflows, and a feed recirculation flow path.

A method and apparatus for isolating a first substance from a mixture by chromatography, the mixture including at least a second substance which in the chromatography is subject to a greater retention than the first substance, and having a third substance which in the chromatography is subject to a lower retention than the first substance. The mixture is supplied to a chromatography apparatus having multiple interconnected chromatography columns. The apparatus is supplied with the mixture and an eluent, and the second substance is withdrawn as an extract and the first substance as a raffinate. The third substance is withdrawn as an extract. Usefully the third substance and the second substance are withdrawn jointly as an extract.

The present invention describes a device for distributing incoming fluid or for collecting fluid being discharged from a column forming part of an assembly of N columns in series intended to be used in a simulated moving bed separation process. The present device can be used to very substantially reduce the non-selective volumes at each column, while at the same time providing the flow with good synchronicity.

A chromatography system comprising at least two chromatography columns, where a feed recirculation of outflow from a primary load column to the inlet of a secondary load column is combined such that the feed recirculation outflow from all columns that will be used as primary load columns in the system will pass through one and the same feed recirculation flow path.

The present invention relates to a method for fractionating a feedstock into two or more fractions enriched with different components, and more particularly to a method for fractionating a feedstock into two or more fractions by a chromatographic sequential simulated moving bed (SMB) system, wherein the SMB system comprises a separation loop comprising at least 2 compartments; and wherein the method comprises a separation cycle comprising at least one feeding step, at least one circulating step and at least one eluting step; wherein the dissolved substances in the feedstock form a separation profile as they progress through the separation loop; and the separation profile is progressed more than once or less than once through the separation loop in each separation cycle; and wherein at least two flow paths are present in the separation loop during each feeding step of the separation cycle; and at least one of said flow paths is an active flow path and at least one of said flow paths is an inactive flow path.