The present invention relates to an SMB-based fucose separation method and an apparatus therefor and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for continuously separating fucose from a microalgae-derived monosaccharide mixture or a multi-component mixture (monosaccharide substances, amino acid substances, and glycerol components) using an SMB process.

Process for producing para-xylene are described. The processes utilize a dual raffinate approach. Two raffinate streams from the adsorption separation unit are fed to the raffinate distillation column independently to take advantage of the differing desorbent concentrations in the two raffinate streams. The process yields significant reboiler duty savings and a reduction in overall fired fuel needed.

Para-xylene is separated from a mixture of xylenes and ethylbenzene by a separation process. An ortho-selective adsorbent is used to reduce the ortho-xylene concentration of the xylenes, prior to contact of the xylenes and ethylbenzene with a para-selective adsorbent. The stream rich in ortho-xylene may be isomerized in the liquid phase to increase the amount of para-xylene therein. The para-xylene-depleted stream may be treated in the vapor phase to remove the ethylbenzene and then subjected to isomerization in the liquid phase to produce a stream having a higher than equilibrium amount of para-xylene.

Described herein is a method of adjusting the composition of a chromatography product to achieve a target enriched proportion of a desired component from an input feed having a lower proportion of the desired component using simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography wherein the eluent for the SMB apparatus may comprise the very input feed being enriched. The method is exemplified by enriching a high fructose corn syrup from a 42% fructose syrup to a 55% fructose syrup without substantially reducing the dissolved solids concentration of the 55% syrup relative to the input 42% syrup. The 42% syrup is also used as the eluent for the SMB apparatus and may be reconstituted from the raffinate stream by passing the raffinate stream over a glucose isomerase column alone or in combination with a dextrose feed. The method reduces water usage and saves energy by minimizing the need for evaporation to obtain a 55% fructose syrup with a high dissolved solids content.

Method for the simulated moving bed (SMB) separation of a feedstock (F), in which: at least one zone (1, 2, 3, 4) contains fewer than three beds, if the stream (D, E, F, R) delimiting said zone and situated upstream of said zone is injected or withdrawn at the plate P.sub.i via the bypass line L.sub.i/i+1, then the stream delimiting said zone and situated downstream of said zone is injected/withdrawn at the plate P.sub.j via the bypass line L.sub.j/j+1, and if the stream delimiting said zone and situated downstream of said zone is injected or withdrawn at the plate P.sub.i via the bypass line L.sub.i1/i, then the stream delimiting said zone and situated upstream of said zone is injected/withdrawn at the plate P.sub.j via the bypass line L.sub.j1/j.

The invention relates to a method for separating a mixture in an installation comprising a first system comprising a plurality of chromatography columns, a second system downstream of the first system and a tank fed by an outlet line of the first system and feeding the second system with a continuous stream, the method successively comprising, in a cyclical manner, in a given part of the first 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 the measurement of the purity and/or yield of at least one collected fraction, comprising: the determination of the concentration of at least two species of the mixture to be separated in the fraction collected in the tank; and the determination of the purity and/or yield of at least one species of the fraction collected in the tank.

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.

The invention relates to zeolitic absorbents based on at least one zeolite with hierarchical porosity, containing barium or barium and potassium, to the uses thereof for separating para-xylene from aromatic fractions containing 8 carbon atoms, and to the method for separating para-xylene from aromatic fractions containing 8 carbon atoms.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a bioprocess purification system comprising a continuous chromatography configured to operate with at least three columns and configured for cyclic operation, wherein the continuous purification is performed on a sample comprising a target product having desired characteristics. The method comprises detecting (82) at least one parameter indicative of characteristics of the target product, performing (83) real time trend analysis of each detected at least one parameter to identify a deviation from the desired characteristics of the target product, and controlling (84) the bioprocess purification system to meet the desired characteristics based on the identified deviation, whereby the target characteristics is within a pre-determined range.

The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.