An optimization method for capturing proteins by multi-column continuous chromatography (MCC), including the following steps: step 1, under the conditions of a set loading protein concentration and an arbitrary load residence time, performing a single time of protein breakthrough experiment to obtain a protein breakthrough curve; step 2, under a set breakthrough percentage for a target protein, integrating the breakthrough curve to obtain a single-column loading capacity and establishing a linear relationship between the interconnected load time and the load residence time; step 3, solving for the optimal number of operating columns for capturing proteins by MCC based on step 2; step 4, solving for the optimal load residence time for capturing proteins by MCC based on step 2, step 3; and step 5, solving for the maximum productivity of capturing proteins by MCC based on step 4.

Methods of recovery of pristine polymers and hydrocarbon mixtures from a sorted waste feedstock or mixtures of waste feedstock, which are with or without organic additives are disclosed. The methods include Sequential Selective Extraction and Adsorption (SSEA), Hydrothermal Processing (HTP), and a combination of SSEA and HTP. Exemplarily, SSEA includes selecting a first solvent (S1), inputting the S1 and a sorted feedstock free of organic additives into an extractor, heating, waiting, and separating insolubles forming a pristine polymer solution. Exemplarily, HTP includes inputting a hydrothermal solvent and a sorted feedstock free of organic additives into a reactor, heating to form subcritical or supercritical H.sub.2O, waiting, causing thermal depolymerization to produce a slurry, cooling, venting formed gases and separating the hydrocarbon mixture.

Systems and methods for enriching an organic acid from a fermentation broth containing residual color, salts, and carbohydrates using simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography to produce a high purity organic acid extract is disclosed. One embodiment of the method purifies citric acid from a fermentation broth into two product streams: a first product stream rich in salt, color, and carbohydrate impurities, and a second product stream comprising an extract enriched in organic acid.

Process for separating xylenes starting from a feed comprising cuts of isomers of aromatic hydrocarbons containing 8 carbon atoms, in a simulated moving bed, by selective adsorption of a xylene isomer in the presence of a desorbent, by means of particles of agglomerated zeolitic adsorbent based on zeolite crystals with a number-average diameter less than or equal to 1.2 m, wherein the number-average diameter of said particles of adsorbent is between 150 m and 500 m and the mechanical strength measured by the Shell method series SMS1471-74 adapted for agglomerates with a size below 500 m is greater than or equal to 2 MPa.

A process is provided for producing reduced acid lignocellulosic-derived bio-oil. treating a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock in a moving bed reactor with a metal oxide catalyst on an oxide support under treating conditions to produce a treated stream; directing spent metal oxide catalyst from the moving bed reactor to a fluidized bed regenerator, the spent metal oxide catalyst resulting from treating the lignocellulosic biomass feedstock with the metal oxide catalyst; regenerating the spent metal oxide catalyst in the fluidized bed regenerator by removing coke from the spent metal oxide catalyst in a combustion process that regenerates the spent metal oxide catalyst into the metal oxide catalyst; and returning to the moving bed reactor the metal oxide catalyst that has been regenerated in the fluidized bed regenerator. The obtained bio-oil is particularly suitable as a renewable feedstock for hydroprocessing in biofuel manufacture.

An efficient simulated moving bed device and an efficient simulated moving bed process are provided. The efficient simulated moving bed device comprises an adsorption bed, a raw material feeding system, a desorbent feeding system, a circulating system, an extract system, a raffinate system, a program-controlled valve group, and an automatic control system.

Para-xylene is separated from a mixture of C8 aromatics using a simulated moving bed (SMB) adsorption process, wherein a MOF is used as an adsorbent and an alkane or alkene having 7 or less carbon atoms, such as hexane or heptane is used as desorbent. Because of the difference in boiling points of a hexane or heptane desorbent as compared to conventional desorbents such as toluene or para-diethylbenzene, less energy is required to separate hexane or heptane from C8 aromatics by distillation than the energy required to separate toluene or diethylbenzene from C8 aromatics by distillation.

Disclosed is a process for recovering paraxylene in which a first simulated moving bed adsorption unit is used to produce two extract streamsone rich in paraxylene and a paraxylene-rich extract stream that is lean in ethylbenzene and an ethylbenzene-rich extract stream that is lean in paraxylene- and a paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream. A significant amount of the ethylbenzene is removed in the ethylbenzene-rich extract stream (at least enough to limit buildup in the isomerization loop), so the paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream may be isomerized in the liquid phase. Avoiding vapor phase isomerization saves energy and capital, as liquid phase isomerization requires less energy and capital than the vapor phase isomerization process due to the requirement of vaporizing the paraxylene-depleted stream and the use of hydrogen, which requires an energy and capital intensive hydrogen recycle loop.

The process involves the use of two rotary valves to implement Varicol operation of a simulated moving bed apparatus to separate a product from at least one multicomponent feed. In a particular embodiment, paraxylene is separated from a mixture of C8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The use of the Varicol process further enhances the separation of the desired product and provides flexibility with a simulated moving bed apparatus using dual rotary valves.

The present invention describes a process for separating xylenes in simulated counter-current (simulated moving bed, SMB) for the treatment of feeds including oxygen-containing aromatic impurities of the phenol type and/or derivatives thereof, by controlled injection of water in the ingoing streams.