Patent ID: 7208651

Claim:
In a process for the separation of a desired compound from a feed mixture comprising two or more chemical compounds by simulated countercurrent adsorptive separation wherein a feed stream and a desorbent stream are injected into at least one multi-bed adsorbent chamber comprising a plurality of access points at two different access points via different transfer lines and an extract stream comprising the desired compound and a raffinate stream are individually withdrawn from the adsorbent chamber at two different access points by two additional transfer lines, the portion of the adsorption chamber between withdrawal of the raffinate and the injection of the feed stream being defined as an adsorption zone, the improvement which comprises directing one or both of a portion of the feed mixture and material withdrawn from the adsorption zone as a raffinate flush to flush away from the adsorbent chamber the contents of a transfer line which previously has been used to remove the raffinate stream from the adsorbent chamber, and passing the contents of the transfer line being flushed with the raffinate flush to a raffinate distillation column.