Separation of arabinose by selective adsorption on zeolitic molecular sieves

Claim 2

A selective adsorption process for the separation of arabinose from a liquid mixture containing arabinose and at least one other aldose, which process comprises: (a) contacting said liquid mixture, at a pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture in a liquid phase, with an adsorbent composition comprising a BaX crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite, whereby arabinose is selectively adsorbed thereon; (b) removing the non-adsorbed portion of said liquid mixture from contact with the adsorbent composition; and (c) desorbing arabinose from said adsorbent composition by contacting said adsorbent composition with a desorbing agent and recovering desorbed arabinose.

Claim 3

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the temperature is from about 4° C. to about 150° C.

Claim 4

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the temperature is from about 20° C. to about 110° C.

Claim 5

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the desorbent is selected from the group consisting of water and mixtures thereof with alcohols or ketones.

Claim 6

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the desorbent is water.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mixture comprises a mixture of sugars.

Claim 8

A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein said sugar mixture contains arabinose and at least one of galactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, mannose, xylose and cellobiose.

Claim 9

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mixture comprises a mixture of sugars derived from the hydrolysis of wood.

Claim 10

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mixture comprises the hydrolysis product of beet pulp.

Claim 11

A selective adsorption process for the separation of a rabinose from a liquid mixture containing a arabinose and at least one of galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, cellobiose and sucrose, wherein said process comprises: (a) contacting said liquid mixture at a pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture in a liquid phase, with an adsorbent composition comprising a BaX crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite, whereby arabinose is selectively adsorbed thereon; (b) removing the non-adsorbed portion of said liquid mixture from contact with the adsorbent composition; and (c) desorbing arabinose from said adsorbent composition by contacting said adsorbent composition with a desorbing agent and recovering desorbed arabinose.

Claim 12

A selective adsorption process for the separation of a rabinose from a liquid mixture containing a arabinose and at least one of galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, cellobiose and sucrose, wherein said process comprises: (a) contacting said liquid mixture at a pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture in a liquid phase, with an adsorbent composition comprising a BaX crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite, whereby arabinose is selectively adsorbed thereon; (b) removing the non-adsorbed portion of said liquid mixture from contact with the adsorbent composition; and (c) desorbing arabinose from said adsorbent composition by contacting said adsorbent composition with a desorbing agent and recovering desorbed arabinose.