Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for fractionating a feedstock into two or more fractions enriched with different components, and more particularly to a method for fractionating a feedstock into two or more fractions by a chromatographic sequential simulated moving bed (SMB) system, wherein the SMB system comprises a separation loop comprising at least 2 compartments; and wherein the method comprises a separation cycle comprising at least one feeding step, at least one circulating step and at least one eluting step; wherein the dissolved substances in the feedstock form a separation profile as they progress through the separation loop; and the separation profile is progressed more than once or less than once through the separation loop in each separation cycle; and wherein at least two flow paths are present in the separation loop during each feeding step of the separation cycle; and at least one of said flow paths is an active flow path and at least one of said flow paths is an inactive flow path.

1 . A method for fractionating a feedstock into two or more fractions by a chromatographic sequential simulated moving bed (SMB) system,
 wherein the SMB system comprises a separation loop comprising at least 2 compartments; and   wherein the method comprises a separation cycle comprising at least one feeding step, at least one circulating step and at least one eluting step; and   wherein the dissolved substances in the feedstock form a separation profile as they progress through the separation loop; and the separation profile is progressed more than once or less than once through the separation loop in each separation cycle; and   wherein at least two flow paths are present in the separation loop during each feeding step of the separation cycle; and at least one of said flow paths is an active flow path and at least one of said flow paths is an inactive flow path.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein, during at least one feeding step, a feedstock is fed into one of the compartments in an active flow path and at least one product fraction is collected from a subsequent compartment in the same flow path. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein, during at least one feeding step, a feedstock is fed into one of the compartments in an active flow path and substantially simultaneously an eluent is fed into a subsequent compartment in the separation loop. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein a product and/or recycle fraction is withdrawn from each of the compartments which receive the feedstock or eluent. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the separation loop comprises 2n compartments and in at least one feeding step of separation cycle n+1 flow paths are present and wherein at least one of the n+1 flow paths is an inactive flow path and at least one of the n+1 flow paths is an active flow path; wherein n is a number between 1 and 20. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein the separation loop comprises 2n or 2n−1 compartments and in at least one feeding step of the separation cycle n flow paths are present and wherein at least one of the n flow paths is an inactive flow path and at least one of the n flow paths is an active flow path; wherein n is a number between 2 and 20. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein the ratio of active to inactive flow paths in each feeding step is between about 3:1 and 1:3. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein in each feeding step of the separation cycle the last flow path in the separation loop relative to the flow path which receives the feed is an inactive flow path. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein in each feeding step the number of compartments constituting the active flow paths is equal to the number of compartments which constitute the inactive flow paths. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein the separation loop comprises four compartments and the method comprises a separation cycle comprising a feeding step, wherein a flow path between two consecutive compartments and a flow path between another two consecutive compartments are present, wherein one flow path is active and the other flow path is inactive. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein the separation loop comprises four compartments and the method comprises a separation cycle comprising a feeding step, wherein two active flow paths consisting of one compartment each and an inactive flow path between the remaining two consecutive compartments are present. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claims 1  or  3  wherein the separation loop comprises four compartments and the method comprises a separation cycle wherein in each feeding step there are two compartments participating in active flow paths and two compartments participating in inactive flow paths. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to any one of the preceding  claims 1  or  3 , wherein one or more of the feeding, eluting and circulating steps are carried out substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to any one of the preceding  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the separation profile is progressed more than once through the separation loop in each separation cycle. 
     
     
         21 . The according to any one of the preceding  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the separation profile is progressed less than once through the separation loop in each separation cycle. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A The method according to any one of the preceding  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the compartments comprise a stationary phase selected from a chromatographic resin, preferably an ion-exchange resin. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method according to any one of  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the SMB system has a linear flow rate of 0.4 to 20 m/h, preferably from 1 to 12 m/h. 
     
     
         29 . The method to any one of  claims 1  or  3 , wherein the solution to be fractionated is selected from the group consisting of beet molasses, low green, vinasse, fructose/glucose syrups, beet-derived juices, invert sugar mixtures, starch hydrolysates, wood hydrolysates, milk whey solutions and other lactose containing solutions, lactulose-containing solutions, maltose-containing solutions, maltitol-containing solutions, solutions containing amino acids, fermentation broths containing various organic acids, and solutions containing rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, raffinose, inositol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, glutamic acid, glycerol, and/or tagatose, or isomaltulose and trehalulose solutions. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The method to any one of  claim 3 , wherein the product(s) is/are selected from a group consisting of glucose, fructose, sucrose, betaine, rhamnose, lactose, lactulose, maltose, maltitol, arabinose, mannose, raffinose, inositol, mannitol, glycerol, xylitol, xylose, sorbitol, erythritol, organic acids, especially amino acids, such as glutamic acid. 
     
     
         32 . The method to  claim 3  wherein the feedstock is beet molasses and a product fraction comprises mainly betaine. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 3  or  32  wherein a product fraction comprises at least about 3 g/100 ml of betaine. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the feedstock is beet molasses and a product fraction comprises mainly sucrose. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 3  or  34  wherein a product fraction comprises at least about 30 g/100 ml of sucrose. 
     
     
         36 . A chromatographic fraction comprising at least about 75 wt. % betaine of dry substance and having a betaine concentration of at least about 3.5 g/100 ml obtainable by the method according to any of  claims 1  or  3 . 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A chromatographic fraction comprising at least about 75 wt. % betaine of dry substance and having a betaine concentration of at least about 3.5 g/100 ml obtainable by the method according to  claim 23 .