Simulated moving bed (SMB) adsorption has potential for efficient separation of many valuable chemical mixtures, but considerably less attention has been devoted to multicomponent feeds relative to binary mixtures. We take a rigorous experimental and modeling approach to study multicomponent separation of aromatics and aliphatics with a mesoporous silica adsorbent, which is relevant in many petrochemical applications such as separation of reformate and distillate streams. Our approach involves refining multicomponent adsorption, mass transfer, and SMB process parameters based upon detailed experimental inputs, with progressive addition of components. We develop a robust model that quantitatively predicts the influence of key operating parameters such as stream flow rates, desorbent/feed ratio, and switch time on the separation results and concentration profiles. The model is validated as a function of feed complexity by SMB experiments and column concentration profile measurements in a 16-column mini-plant. Furthermore, conditions for clear separation of each mixture are developed.

中文翻译：

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通过模拟移动床吸附分离多组分芳香族/脂肪族混合物：建模和实验

模拟移动床 (SMB) 吸附具有有效分离许多有价值的化学混合物的潜力，但相对于二元混合物，对多组分进料的关注要少得多。我们采用严格的实验和建模方法来研究使用介孔二氧化硅吸附剂对芳烃和脂肪烃进行多组分分离，这与许多石化应用相关，例如重整油和馏分油的分离。我们的方法包括根据详细的实验输入改进多组分吸附、传质和 SMB 工艺参数，并逐步添加组分。我们开发了一个强大的模型，可以定量预测关键操作参数的影响，例如流流速、解吸剂/进料比、并在分离结果和浓度曲线上切换时间。该模型通过 SMB 实验和 16 柱小型工厂中的柱浓度分布测量验证为进料复杂性的函数。此外，还开发了明确分离每种混合物的条件。