The present invention relates to the extraction of lithium from liquid resources such as natural and synthetic brines, leachate solutions from clays and minerals, and recycled products.

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.

The present invention relates to a device and a process for separation by simulated moving bed comprising a plurality of adsorbers (1, 2) which are positioned in series and arranged alternately for upflow and downflow, each adsorber (1, 2) being divided into n adsorption chambers each comprising one adsorbent bed, the n adsorbent beds being separated by n plates for injecting at least one feed and a desorbent and withdrawing at least one extract and a raffinate.

Disclosed is a continuous process for the purification of steviol glycosides extracted from the dried stevia leaves using continuous simulated moving bed processes and nanofiltration without the addition of organic solvents to obtain a purified steviol product comprising sweet steviol glycosides. The sweet steviol glycosides can be used as substitutes for caloric sweeteners in beverages and in other food items.

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.

An assembly is provided that comprises: at least one valve cassette block (20) comprising a plurality of valves (25) which are controllable via a control surface (24) of the valve cassette block (20); a valve control block (10) having an operation surface (11), the valve control block (10) being configured to control each of the plurality of valves (25) when the operation surface (11) is in contact with the control surface (24) of the at least one valve cassette block (20), the valve control block (10) comprising at least one sliding trench (14) formed in the operation surface (11); at least one sliding component (30) configured to slidably interlock with the at least one sliding trench (14) such that the at least one sliding component (30) is movable relative to the valve control block (10) in a sliding direction parallel to the operation surface (11), at least one pulling bracket (40, 50) configured to embrace the at least one valve cassette block (20) and to interact with the at least one sliding component (30) such that a sliding movement of the at least one sliding component (30) in the at least one sliding trench (14) causes the pulling bracket (40, 50) to pull the at least one valve cassette block (20) with its control surface (24) against the operation surface (11) of the valve control block (10).

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 method and a rotary valve in a continuous chromatography system. The rotary valve comprises a stator with an inner stator face, and a rotor with an inner rotor face arranged in sealing contact with the inner stator face. The stator comprises at least a first and a second inlet orifices, at least two first outlet orifices, a second outlet orifice and a third outlet orifice, and the rotor interconnection paths are arranged to: in at least one rotary position connect the first inlet orifice to the second outlet orifice and the second inlet orifice to the third outlet orifice, and in at least two other rotary positions connect the first inlet orifice with any one of the first outlet orifices at the same time as the second inlet orifice is connected to the second outlet orifice.

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.