title: Experiment and modeling for the separation of guaifenesin enantiomers using simulated moving bed and Varicol units.
abstract: The separation of guaifenesin enantiomers by both simulated moving bed (SMB) process and Varicol process was investigated experimentally and theoretically, where the columns were packed with cellulose tris 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OD) stationary phase and a mixture of n-hexane and ethanol was used as mobile phase. The operation conditions were designed based on the separation region with the consideration of mass transfer resistance and axial dispersion, and the experiments to separate guaifenesin enantiomers were carried out on VARICOL-Micro unit using SMB process with the column configuration of 1/2/2/1 and Varicol process with the column configuration of 1/1.5/1.5/1, respectively. Single enantiomer with more than 99.0% purity was obtained in both processes with the productivity of 0.42 genantiomer/dcm(3) CSP for SMB process and 054 genantiomer/dcm(3) CSP for Varicol process. These experimental results obtained from SMB and Varicol processes were compared with those reported from literatures. In addition, according to the numerical simulation, the effects of solid-film mass transfer resistance and axial dispersion on the internal profiles were discussed, and the effect of column configuration on the separation performance of SMB and Varicol processes was analyzed for a few columns system. The feasibility and efficiency for the separation of guaifenesin enantiomers by SMB and Varicol processes were evaluated.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Rujin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: liping_2007@ecust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering (LSRE), Associate Laboratory LSRE/LCM, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Alirio E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D006140:Guaifenesin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D006140:Guaifenesin
keywords: Chiral separation; Guaifenesin enantiomers; Modeling; SMB process; Varicol process