Disclosed is a continuous process for separating or extracting proteins from a low grade mixture of a protein of interest, other proteins, impurities, and salts in a continuous simulated moving bed separation process. The invention provides for direct extraction of heme protein and plant protein from a crude mixture of such proteins, other proteins, impurities and salts using the chromatographic technique of simulated moving bed (SMB) continuous chromatography. The SMB process combines the steps of feed loading, adsorbent washing, product elution, adsorbent regeneration, and adsorbent equilibration. The novel strong anion exchange resin adsorbent is a quaternary amine cross-linked microcellulose wherein the microcellulose is cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and the quaternary amine is 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride which exhibits selective adsorption of proteins and complete regeneration. Purified protein separated in this manner may provide human health benefits by providing greater medicinal and nutrition opportunities from low quality protein sources.

A simulated moving bed process using dual, parallel rotary valves configured or plumbed to be operated independently in which the step times of the rotary valves are staggered. In embodiments, the second rotary valve is programmed to step about halfway through the step time of the first rotary valve. Staggering the step time of the parallel rotary valves, rather than utilizing simultaneous stepping, results in increased net composite paraxylene concentration of the extract stream, allowing for increased capacity of the simulated moving bed process and/or reduced energy consumption.

A process is described for separating paraxylene from a multicomponent fluid mixture of C.sub.8 aromatics. A mixture of C.sub.8 aromatics is fed to a simulated moving bed adsorptive apparatus having at least two sieve chambers and at least two rotary valves. Each sieve chamber may be operated individually using the PowerFeed process. The flow rates of the streams to or from the individual sieve chambers may be varied during the step time in an inverse manner such that a substantially constant flow to and from the apparatus is achieved. Alternatively, the flow rates to each sieve chamber may vary during the step time according to the same profile, but the rotary valves may be off-set and step independently in a staggered manner to achieve a substantially constant flow of a stream to or from the apparatus.

Disclosed is a continuous process for separating or extracting proteins from a low grade mixture of a protein of interest, other proteins, impurities, and salts in a continuous simulated moving bed separation process. The invention provides for direct extraction of heme protein and plant protein from a crude mixture of such proteins, other proteins, impurities and salts using the chromatographic technique of simulated moving bed (SMB) continuous chromatography. The SMB process combines the steps of feed loading, adsorbent washing, product elution, adsorbent regeneration, and adsorbent equilibration. The novel strong anion exchange resin adsorbent is a quaternary amine cross-linked microcellulose wherein the microcellulose is cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and the quaternary amine is 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride which exhibits selective adsorption of proteins and complete regeneration. Purified protein separated in this manner may provide human health benefits by providing greater medicinal and nutrition opportunities from low quality protein sources.

A simulated moving bed separator and methods for isolating a desired component are provided. A method includes removing a raffinate from a raffinate bed of a simulated moving bed separator. The raffinate includes an undesired component, and the simulated moving bed separator includes a plurality of adsorbent beds circularly coupled together, a distributor, and a plurality of conduits coupling the distributor to the plurality of adsorbent beds. The adsorbent beds include the raffinate bed, a desorbent bed, and a zone 4 flush bed positioned between the raffinate bed and the desorbent bed. Desorbent is added to the desorbent bed through a desorbent conduit. The zone 4 flush conduit is flushed to the desorbent conduit, where the zone 4 flush conduit is coupled to the zone 4 flush bed.

Disclosed is a continuous process for separating or extracting proteins from a low grade mixture of a protein of interest, other proteins, impurities, and salts in a continuous simulated moving bed separation process. The invention provides for direct extraction of heme protein and plant protein from a crude mixture of such proteins, other proteins, impurities and salts using the chromatographic technique of simulated moving bed (SMB) continuous chromatography. The SMB process combines the steps of feed loading, adsorbent washing, product elution, adsorbent regeneration, and adsorbent equilibration. The novel strong anion exchange resin adsorbent is a quaternary amine cross-linked microcellulose wherein the microcellulose is cross-linked with epichlorohydrin and the quaternary amine is 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride which exhibits selective adsorption of proteins and complete regeneration. Purified protein separated in this manner may provide human health benefits by providing greater medicinal and nutrition opportunities from low quality protein sources.

A simulated moving bed process using dual, parallel rotary valves configured or plumbed to be operated independently in which the step times of the rotary valves are staggered. In embodiments, the second rotary valve is programmed to step about halfway through the step time of the first rotary valve. Staggering the step time of the parallel rotary valves, rather than utilizing simultaneous stepping, results in increased net composite paraxylene concentration of the extract stream, allowing for increased capacity of the simulated moving bed process and/or reduced energy consumption.

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.

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.