Patent ID: 7396973

Claim:
A simulated countercurrent adsorptive separation process for separating a desired chemical compound from a mixture of two or more chemical compounds comprising the steps of: a. providing a first feed material having a first concentration of the desired chemical compound; b. providing a second feed material having a second concentration of the desired chemical compound; c. providing a multi-bed adsorbent chamber; d. introducing a stream of the first feed material into the adsorbent chamber at a first transfer point; e. flowing the first feed material through the adsorbent chamber in a downstream direction; f. adsorbing the desired chemical compound from the first feed material by a selected adsorbent and thereby producing a first raffinate material; g. removing the first raffinate material from the adsorbent chamber at a second transfer point located in a downstream direction from the first transfer point; h. introducing a stream of the second feed material into the adsorbent chamber at a third transfer point in the upstream direction of the second transfer point; i. flowing the second feed material through the adsorbent chamber in the downstream direction; j. adsorbing the desired chemical compound from the second feed material by the selected adsorbent and thereby producing a second raffinate material; k. removing the second raffinate material from the adsorbent chamber at the second transfer point; and l. removing a first desired chemical compound from the adsorbent chamber at a fourth transfer point located in a downstream direction from the second transfer point.