Stepwise Model Evaluation in Simulated Moving‐Bed Separation of Ketamine

A stepwise model with lumped mass transfer kinetics (SW‐LM) is applied for chromatographic column modeling in simulated moving bed (SMB) separation of a racemic mixture of the anesthetic ketamine. The SW‐LM model can easily represent the SMB separation process of ketamine considering the retention factors equal to the equilibrium constants of the R‐ and S‐enantiomers. The equilibrium data was utilized only in the previous column characterization for the determination of mass transfer kinetic parameters used later in the SMB design. The SW‐LM model achieves similar transient results of enantiomer concentrations in the extract and raffinate compared to a robust equilibrium dispersive model.