ABSTRACT
The efficiency of the process can be significantly increased by operating in a continuous countercurrent mode, the most powerful of which, in terms of performance and feasibility, is created by simulated moving bed (SMB) technology. Universal Oil Product’s Olex processes separate olefins from paraffins in liquid phase using SMB technology. The Sarex process, part of the Sorbex family, uses SMB technology with X and Y zeolite adsorbents with exchangeable cations; later on, ion-exchange resins, namely polystyrene resins in calcium form, were reported in the patent literature since fructose has a higher affinity for calcium ions. The introduction of the SMB in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly for the purification of chiral compounds, is seen by some authors as the start of a new era for this technology. Ion-exchange chromatography also plays an important role in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes based on SMB technology.
