Patent ID: 8613858

Claim:
A nanofiltration process for separating at least one target neutral organic compound selected from pentose and hexose sugars and their corresponding sugar alcohols, betaine, glycerol and inositol, from a multicomponent or binary solution also containing one or more non-target organic compounds by nanofiltration, where the said at least one target compound is enriched into the permeate, and the negative retention of said at least one target compound or the permeation into the permeate of said at least one target compound is enhanced by increasing the content of one or more of said non-target organic compounds added to a feed solution for the nanofiltration or to retentate which is recycled to the nanofiltration, in an amount sufficient to result in a molar ratio of the said at least one target compound to the one or more non-target organic compounds to be in the range of 1:10.8 to 7.5:1 in the feed or retentate solution in which the one or more non-target organic compounds is increased.