INTRODUCTION

Simulated moving bed chromatography (SMBC) was invented in the

1950s by Broughton and colleagues atUOPfor large-scale separation of
n-paraffins, and is used today in many variations in the petrochemical,
food, and pharmaceutical industries. The SMBC process has made liquid
chromatography economically feasible on an industrial scale due to its
high productivity relative to batch (single-column) methods. This
enhanced productivity(up to 20-fold) is achieved through much more
efficient utilization of the solid and liquid phases required for separation.
In simplest terms, SMBC does more with less.
The basic concept of simulated moving bed chromatography is to use
multiple smaller columns containing the solid adsorbent (beds) rather
than one large column, and to move the beds in the opposite direction
of the fluid to achieve a countercurrent flow, rather than flowing fluids
through one static bed. The simulated movement is typically carried
out through multiport valves interspersed between the columns, such
that the input and output fluid streams can be periodically switched from
column to column in the direction of fluid flow. Rather than applying feed
and desorbent and collecting fractions sequentially with one column, all
fluid streams are simultaneously applied and withdrawn at appropriate
points between the columns. When running at a steady state, the various
stages of separation are carried out simultaneously by different columns
in a continuous cycle.

WHAT IS SMBC?
In manufacturing, thesimulated moving bed(SMB) process is a highly engineered
process for implementing chromatographic separation. It is used to separate one
chemical compound or one class of chemical compounds from one or more other
chemical compounds to provide significant quantities of the purified or enriched
material at a lower cost than could be obtained using simple (batch) chromatography.
It cannot provide any separation or purification that cannot be done by a simple
column purification. The process is rather complicated. The single advantage which it
brings to a chromatographic purification is that it allows the production of large
quantities of highly purified material at a dramatically reduced cost. The cost
reductions come about as a result of: the use of a smaller amount of chromatographic
separation mediastationary phase, a continuous and high rate of production, and
decreased solvent and energy requirements. This improved economic performance is
brought about by a valve-and-column arrangement that is used to lengthen the
stationary phase indefinitely and allow very high solute loadings to the process.
In the conventionalmoving bed techniqueof production chromatography the feed
entry and the analyte recovery are simultaneous and continuous, but because of
practical difficulties with a continuously moving bed, simulated moving bed technique
was proposed. In thesimulated moving bed techniqueinstead of moving the bed,
the feed inlet, the solvent or eluent inlet and the desired product exit and undesired
product exit positions are moved continuously, giving the impression of a moving bed,
with continuous flow of solid particles and continuous flow of liquid in the opposite
direction of the solid particles.

ADVANTAGES

SMB provides lower production cost by requiring less column

volume, less chromatographic separation media ("packing" or
"stationary phase"), using less solvent and less energy, and
requiring far less labour.
At industrial scale an SMB chromatographic separator is operated
continuously, requiring less resin and less solvent than batch
chromatography. The continuous operation facilitates operation
control and integration into production plants. Low eluent
consumption High product concentration High productivity
Continuous process This system is useful in the supercritical fluid
extraction to obtain large quantity of specific product.

DISADVANTAGES

Higher investment cost compared to single column operations

A higher complexity, as well as higher maintenance costs.
For purifications, in particular the isolation of an intermediate
single component or a fraction out of a multicomponent mixture,
the SMB is not as ideally suited. Normally, a single SMB will
separate only two fractions from each other, but a series or "train"
of SMBs can perform multiple cuts and purify one or more
products from a multi-component mixture.
It is not readily suited for solvent gradients because this kind of
purification may be preferred for the purification of some
biomolecules. A continuous chromatography technique to
overcome the two fraction limit and to apply gradients is
multicolumn countercurrent solvent gradient purification

APPLICATIONS

Bulk separations
End product purifications
Impurity analysis
Chiral separation
Process development

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_moving_bed
http://sembabio.com/simulated-moving-bed-chromatography/