Chromatographic separator sorbent bed preparation

Claim 1

In a simulated moving bed process in which a plurality of sorbent beds are contained within respective vessels with inlets and outlets connected in a loop so that circulating liquid moves in sequence through said beds while process input streams are cyclically introduced in corresponding sequence to said loop at selected locations associated with said vessels, and compensating process output streams are withdrawn in similarly corresponding sequence from said loop at other selected locations associated with said vessels, all while maintaining a forward flow in a fixed direction through the loop during a plurality of cycles, the improvement which comprises: operating said simulated moving bed process to establish an equilibrated percent solids waveform whereby a contraction phase continuously moves through said loop; monitoring the position of said contraction phase in said loop over time; and introducing sorbent to a selected sorbent bed following the passage of said contraction phase therethrough while maintaining said forward flow through said loop.