Method for separation of water soluble carbohydrates

Claim 1

A method for the separation of water soluble carbohydrates from a feed solution by the utilization of a fractionation medium wherein the solution contains carbohydrates A and B in major amounts and carbohydrate A has a volume distribution coefficient of at least 0.05 units greater than carbohydrate B when determined on said medium comprising: I. sequentially admitting predetermined volumes of the feed solution and elution water to a column of said medium; Ii. separating the effluent from the column sequentially into the following fractions: a. carbohydrate A rich fraction, b. carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B, c. carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A, d. carbohydrate B rich fraction, and e. dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction, Iii. admitting sequentially into the column: a. carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B, b. a volume of feed solution approximately equal to carbohydrate B rich fraction, c. carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A, d. dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction, e. a volume of elution water approximately equal to the volume of the carbohydrate A rich frction, the carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B and the dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction being recycled directly to the column and the carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A being collected while the feed solution is introduced into the column and then admitting said collected fraction into the column, and Iv. repeating steps II and III in a cyclic manner.

Claim 2

A method for the separation of water soluble carbohydrates from a feed solution by the utilization of a fractionation medium wherein the solution contains carbohydrates A and B in major amounts and carbohydrate A has a volume distribution coefficient of at least 0.05 units greater than carbohydrate B when determined on said medium comprising: I. sequentially admitting predetermined volumes of the feed solution and elution water to a column of said medium; Ii. separating the effluent from the column sequentially into the following fractions: a. carbohydrate A rich fraction, b. carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B, c. carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A, d. carbohydrate B rich fraction, and e. dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction, Iii. admitting sequentially into the column: a. carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B, b. a volume of feed solution approximately equal to carbohydrate B rich fraction, c. carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A, d. dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction, e. a volume of elution water approximately equal to the volume of the carbohydrate A rich frction, the carbohydrate A rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate B and the dilute carbohydrate B rich fraction being recycled directly to the column and the carbohydrate B rich fraction highly contaminated with carbohydrate A being collected while the feed solution is introduced into the column and then admitting said collected fraction into the column, and Iv. repeating steps II and III in a cyclic manner.