Process for producing a high-purity maltose

Claim 1

A process for the separation of maltose from a feed solution by the utilization of an ion exchange resin, comprising: (a) providing a feed solution containing at least 70% maltose based on the weight of the dry solid, the remainder consisting essentially of glucose and dextrins; (b) sequentially admitting predetermined volumes of the feed solution and water to a column of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin having sulphonyl groups of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal form; (c) sequentially separating the effluents from the column into the following fractions: a first fraction rich in dextrins, a second fraction rich in dextrins, but highly contaminated with maltose, a third fraction of substantially pure maltose, a fourth fraction rich in maltose, but highly contaminated with glucose, and a fifth fraction rich in glucose; (d) recovering the third fraction of substantially pure maltose; (e) sequentially admitting into the column: the second fraction obtained in the step (c), a feed solution having a maltose content of at least 70% based on the weight of dry solid, and the remainder consisting essentially of glucose and dextrin, the fourth fraction obtained in the step (c), and water; and (f) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) in a cyclic manner.