KNAUER´s Simulated moving bed (SMB)

Simulated moving bed chromatography (SMBC) is increasingly applied as a separation technique in the pharmaceutical industry, production of fine chemicals, and in the field of bioengineering.

SMB is a multi-column method in process chromatography that enables substance mixtures to be continuously separated and extracted in two fractions. Its efficiency is significantly higher than batch chromatography, through better utilization of the column stationary phase.

Although in principle limited to two fraction separations, each partial fraction can be separated into further fractions by repeated use of the SMB process – down to binary substance mixtures.

Typically, the SMB process is used for two component mixtures, like chiral separations or mixtures with a "leading" or a "trailing" key product peak in the chromatogram.