Method and apparatus for the sorption and separation of dissolved constituents

Claim 1

A simulated moving bed process for recovering a separated component from a feed solution containing said separated component and a non-separated component, comprising: providing a bed of separating medium for said separated component divided into four zones, each including at least one discrete vessel, containing a portion of said bed with an inlet at one end of said portion and an outlet at the opposite end of said portion, said zones being serially designated I, II, III and IV, respectively, and arranged in a loop for series flow by connection of the outlet of each zone to the inlet of the next succeeding zone of the series, the outlet of zone IV being connected to the inlet of zone I; filling the zones with liquid so that the entire bed is immersed and substantially free from entrapped gas; circulating liquid through the entire bed in a circulation loop through said zones with pump means located within said loop, and while maintaining said circulation, introducing feed solution to zone II, thereby displacing a raffinate fraction from said zone for recovery from said bed and creating a front of non-separated component which migrates with the circulation flow through zone IV; and approximately simultaneously introducing eluant to zone I, thereby displacing an extract fraction from said zone for recovery from said bed; continuing said introductions to and withdrawals from zones III and I until said front of non-separated component migrates to approximately a first reference location in the loop, with respect to the outlet of zone IV; and then introducing feed solution to zone IV, thereby displacing a raffinate fraction from said zone IV for recovery from said bed; and approximately simultaneously introducing eluant to zone II, thereby displacing an extract fraction from said zone II for recovery from said bed; continuing said introductions to and withdrawals from zones IV and II until said front of non-separated component migrates to approximately a second reference location in the loop with respect to the outlet of zone I; and then introducing feed solution to zone I, thereby displacing a raffinate fraction from said zone I for recovery from said bed; and approximately simultaneously introducing eluant to zone III, thereby displacing an extract fraction from said zone III for recovery from said bed; continuing said introductions to and withdrawals from zones I and III until said front of non-separated component migrates to approximately a third reference location in the loop with respect to the outlet of zone II; and then introducing feed solution to zone II, thereby displacing a raffinate fraction from said zone II for recovery from said bed; and approximately simultaneously introducing eluant to zone IV, thereby displacing an extract fraction from said zone IV for recovery from said bed; continuing said introductions to and withdrawals from zones II and IV until said front of non-separated component migrates to approximately a fourth reference location in the loop with respect to the outlet of zone III; and thereafter repeating the aforedescribed sequence of introductions of feed solution and eluant, respectively, and corresponding withdrawals of raffinate and extract, respectively, in coordination with the migration of said front through the loop to the proximities of said first, second, third and fourth reference locations.

Claim 9

A method for operating a simulated moving bed comprising: flowing a fluid containing a sorbing component and a non-sorbing component in one direction along a bed packed with a solid sorbent with the upstream end and the downstream end interconnected to form a circulation loop; maintaining circulation of fluid within said circulation loop with pump means located within said loop; introducing a stream of feed stock and a stream of de-sorbent to the circulating fluid; maintaining a front across the bed at the interface between distinct phases of the fluid within said loop; withdrawing as separate streams an extract fraction and a raffinate fraction from the loop; and providing said bed in portions contained within a plurality of zones, said plurality corresponding to the total number of streams introduced to and withdrawn from said loop, each said zone containing at least one discrete vessel so that each bed portion may be removed without disturbing any other portion of said bed.

Claim 10

A method for operating a simulated moving bed comprising: flowing a fluid containing a sorbing component and a non-sorbing component in one direction along a bed packed with a solid sorbent with the upstream end and the downstream end interconnected to form a circulation loop; maintaining circulation of fluid within said circulation loop with pump means located within said loop; introducing a stream of feed stock and a stream of de-sorbent to the circulating fluid; maintaining a front across the bed at the interface between distinct phases of the fluid within said loop; withdrawing as separate streams an extract fraction and a raffinate fraction from the loop; and providing said bed in portions contained within a plurality of zones, said plurality corresponding to the total number of streams introduced to and withdrawn from said loop, each said zone containing at least one discrete vessel so that each bed portion may be removed without disturbing any other portion of said bed.