Method for chromatographic purification of viscous loads
The invention relates to a method for purifying a mixture to be separated, in a multicolumn chromatography system, the method comprising successively and cyclically: a step of collecting a raffinate, a step of injecting the mixture to be separated, a step of collecting an extract and an eluent injection step, at an operating temperature; wherein the mixture to be separated has a viscosity at 20° C. greater than or equal to 3 mPa·s; and wherein the dry matter mass concentration of the mixture to be separated is equal, within 5%, to a threshold concentration, said threshold concentration is such that: the viscosity of the mixture to be treated at a dry matter mass concentration equal to the threshold concentration and at the operating temperature, is equal to twice the viscosity of the mixture to be treated, at a dry matter mass concentration equal to 85% of the threshold concentration and at the operating temperature.
1. A method for purifying a mixture to be separated, in a multicolumn chromatography system that comprises a plurality of columns and intercolumn fluidic links, the method comprising successively and cyclically:—a step of collecting a raffinate, a step of injecting the mixture to be separated into the multicolumn chromatography system, a step of collecting an extract and a step of injecting eluent into the multicolumn chromatography system, at an operating temperature; wherein the method comprises moving a fluid through the intercolumn fluidic links at a velocity greater than 0.5 m/s; wherein the mixture to be separated has a viscosity at 20° C. greater than or equal to 3 mPa·s; and wherein a dry matter mass concentration of the mixture to be separated is equal, within 5%, to a threshold concentration, said threshold concentration being such that:—a first viscosity of the mixture to be separated, at a second dry matter mass concentration equal to the threshold concentration and at the operating temperature, is equal to twice a second viscosity of the mixture to be separated, at a dry matter mass concentration equal to 85% of the threshold concentration and at the operating temperature.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dry matter mass concentration of the mixture to be separated is equal, within 2%, to the threshold concentration.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating temperature is greater than or equal to 50° C.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicolumn chromatography system comprises from 4 to 6 cells; or comprises columns having a length from 1.0 to 2.6 m; or a combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eluent is water.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture to be separated has a dry matter mass concentration from 45 to 55%.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture to be separated comprises glucose and fructose, the extract being enriched in fructose and the raffinate being enriched in glucose.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the extract contains a mass proportion of fructose, relative to the total dry matter, greater than or equal to 95%.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the intercolumn fluidic links is less than 10% of a volume of the columns.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least 85% by mass of the fructose contained in the mixture to be separated is recovered in the extract.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture to be separated comprises:—a mass proportion of glucose relative to a total dry matter from 40 to 65%; or—a mass proportion of fructose relative to a total dry matter from 30 to 55%, or a combination thereof.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:—an injected volume of eluent is from 0.12 to 0.22 BV; or—an injected volume of mixture to be separated is from 0.13 to 0.40 BV, or a combination thereof.