Improved performance of a simulated moving bed process by a recycling method in the partial-discard strategy

The recycling partial-discard (RPD) strategy was developed to improve the performance of simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography in partial-discard (PD) strategy by a simulation study. In the RPD operation, each discarded product portion of extract and raffinate is recycled as part of the feed. This strategy was applied to a binary mixture with a nonlinear isotherm in a four-zone SMB with two columns per zone. The two additional operating variables, recycle length (RL) and recycle flowrate (RF), were suggested for the RPD strategy in order to determine the time duration and flowrate of the recycle feed. Compared to those of the PD operation, extract and raffinate with higher purities can be produced from the RPD operation. Simultaneously, the losses in the other performance parameters (recovery, productivity, and eluent consumption) stemming from the PD operation could be favorably reduced by controlling the recycle length and recycle ratio in the RPD operation. The two variables, RL and RF, in the RPD operation played key roles in the improvement and trade-off of SMB performance parameters (purity, recovery, productivity, and eluent consumption).