A valve switching system for selectively interconnecting components of a bioprocess installation, comprising a valve switching cassette and an actuator block. It is proposed, that the valve switching cassette comprises a perforated sandwich plate with perforation holes, which sandwich plate is placed between the cassette manifold and the actuator block body.

The present invention relates to a process for the chromatographic separation of lithium contained in a simulated moving bed brine, said a process comprising a step of fractioning the brine into at least two distinct streams, each of the brine streams being charged into each injection point of a simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB), then percolated, finally the lithium is recovered by means of at least two extraction points.

A simulated moving-bed type chromatographic separation method including separating a weakly adsorptive component, a strongly adsorptive component, and an intermediately adsorptive component that has adsorptive property intermediate between the two components, with respect to an adsorbent, with two or more kinds of eluents by using a circulation system in which a plurality of unit packed columns each packed with an adsorbent are connected in series and in an endless form via pipes, the weakly adsorptive component, the strongly adsorptive component, and the intermediately adsorptive component being contained in a feed solution, wherein a feed solution supply port, eluent supply ports and a plurality of extraction ports are provided on the pipes of the circulation system, and positions of the feed solution supply port and the plurality of extraction ports are set to have a specified relationship; and a chromatographic separation system suitable for implementing the chromatographic separation method.

The present invention describes a device for supplying or collecting from a column forming part of an assembly of columns in series, for use in a simulated moving bed separation process. The present device can be used to very substantially reduce the non-selective volumes in each column.

Lithium (Li) is a key element for clean energy technologies, and, accordingly, the global lithium demand has been increasing rapidly. Therefore, to meet the Li demand and keep supply chains stable, it is critical to develop efficient lithium extraction technologies that allow exploitation of unconventional lithium resources, such as geothermal brines and inland brine streams. However, the recovery of Li from these resources is challenging due to low Li concentration and high Li/Na, Li/Mg, or Li/Ca ratios. Disclosed herein are novel Zwitterionic Chromatography resins and methods of use for separating Li from salts and other ions.

An adsorbent for trimethylbenzene-based compounds, contains, relative to the total amount of X-type molecular sieve and matrix, 93-99 wt % of X-type molecular sieve and 1-7 wt % of matrix. The matrix is a substance after crystal transformation through in-situ crystallization of clay mineral, the adsorbent is modified with at least one bivalent cation selected from Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+, Ni.sup.2+ and Zn.sup.2+ and optionally modified with at least one monovalent cation selected from Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+ and Cs.sup.+. A method for preparing the adsorbent, a method of separating trimethylbenzene-based compounds by using the adsorbent, and an apparatus for separating trimethylbenzene-based compounds are provided.

Systems and methods are provided for performing washing of columns in a simulated moving bed chromatography system while separation is being performed in the system.