Displacement separations by continuous annular chromatography

Continuous displacement chromatography separations are obtained using a continuous annular chromatograph (CAC). The apparatus consists of a rotating annular bed. At fixed positions at the top of the bed, four solutions are continuously supplied: the feed mixture to be separated, a displacer solution, a regenerant, and a rinse. The four solutions flow concurrently through the bed with little mixing. If the bed is sufficiently deep, a fully developed displacement train forms and the separated components are continuously recovered at various angular locations at the bottom of the bed. Mixtures of amino acid were separated by cation exchange displacement chromatography in a laboratory‐scale CAC. Separation and concentration of dilute mixtures was obtained with a continuous separation performance comparable with the performance of a conventional chromatograph. A mathematical model is developed to describe the separation and provide guidance in design and optimization.