Simulated Moving Bed Technology: Overview and Use in Biorefineries

Synthesis of chemical compounds oftentimes produce a mixture of desired and undesired components. The ease of purification and recovery of the desired component more often than not determines the viability of the production technology. Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology is a continuous purification and separation technique with better performance (less solvent consumption and higher throughput) than traditional batch chromatography. SMB is a continuous separation technology which can be used to achieve the desired product purity with considerably lower power and raw material consumption. A lot of research and development is undergoing in the SMB technology which is enabling the search for more economical and carbon neutral ways of producing industrial chemicals. SMB has proven to be of great assistance in extracting products produced in biorefinery fermentation processes in an economical and energy efficient fashion. This chapter outlines the various processes the author has developed using SMB technology, its use in biorefineries, and prospective use in the future.