Kathleen Mihlbachler

Measurement and modeling of the equilibrium behavior of the Tröger's base enantiomers on an amylose-based chiral stationary phase.

The binary isotherms of the two enantiomers of Trögers base were measured on a system made of pure 2-propanol as the mobile phase and of Chiralpak AD, a chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on amylose tri-(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate). The experimental data were acquired using both frontal analysis and the perturbation method. The results obtained are most unusual. The adsorption of the more-retained (-)-enantiomer is not competitive: the amount adsorbed onto the CSP at equilibrium with a constant concentration of the (-)-enantiomer is independent of the concentration of the (+) enantiomer. On the other hand, the adsorption of the less-retained enantiomer is cooperative: the amount of this (+)-enantiomer adsorbed by the CSP at equilibrium with a constant concentration of this enantiomer increases with increasing concentration of the (-)-enantiomer. Such a phenomenon has hardly ever been reported. A model equation is proposed that accounts well for all these isotherm data.

Effect of the homogeneity of the column set on the performance of a simulated moving bed unit: I. Theory

Although it is impossible to manufacture identical columns for use in a simulated moving bed (SMB) process, theoretical studies assume that all the columns in an SMB unit have identical characteristics. In practice, calculations in modeling and optimization studies are made with the average values of each column parameter set. In this report, the effects on SMB process performance caused by column-to-column fluctuations of the parameters are discussed. As a first step, we show how the differences in porosity of the columns may be taken into account with a revised set of separation conditions. Reductions in the purity of the extract and the raffinate streams are quantitatively related to the column-to-column fluctuations of the retention times of the two components arising from these porosity differences. For the sake of simplicity, the discussion first addresses the case of a four-column SMB operating under linear conditions. Then, the scope is extended to the cases of SMB units incorporating several columns in each section and to SMB units operating under nonlinear conditions.

Fitting adsorption isotherms to the distribution data determined using packed micro-columns for high-performance liquid chromatography

Knowing the adsorption isotherms of the components of a mixture on the chromatographic system used to separate them is necessary for a better understanding of the separation process and for the optimization of the production rate and costs in preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Currently, adsorption isotherms are usually measured by frontal analysis, using conventional analytical columns. Unfortunately, this approach requires relatively large quantities of pure compounds, and hence is expensive, especially in the case of pure enantiomers. In this work, we investigated the possible use of packed micro-bore and capillary HPLC columns for the determination of adsorption isotherms of benzophenone, o-cresol and phenol in reversed-phase systems and of the enantiomers of mandelic acid on a Teicoplanin chiral stationary phase. We found a reasonable agreement between the isotherm coefficients of the model compounds determined on micro-columns and on conventional analytical columns packed with the same material. Both frontal analysis and perturbation techniques could be used for this determination. The consumption of pure compounds needed to determine the isotherms decreases proportionally to the second power of the decrease in the column inner diameter, i.e. 10 times for a micro-bore column (1 mm I.D.) and 100 times for capillary columns (0.32 mm I.D.) with respect to 3.3 mm I.D. conventional columns.

Effect of the homogeneity of the column set on the performance of a simulated moving bed unit. II. Experimental study.

Previous studies of the simulated moving bed (SMB) process assume identical characteristics of all the columns incorporated in a given unit. Due to the practical impossibility to manufacture identical columns, numerical applications of the theory to modeling and optimization use for each of the needed column parameter the average value for the entire column set. In this study, the effects of these simplifications on the actual productivity of the SMB process are evaluated by making exact calculations, i.e., by taking the differences in the porosity values into account. We apply a revised set of separation conditions previously introduced and derived from the equilibrium theory. Earlier theoretical results are compared to experimental results obtained in the study of the enantiomeric separation of Trögers base on Chiralpak AD. Due to the nonLangmuirian character of the adsorption isotherms of these two compounds on the packing material used, the separation area cannot be determined analytically. As an alternative, a reliable numerical algorithm was used to scan a wider region and to define the separation area. The form of this area depends on the applied porosity values. A UV detector and a laser polarimeter located at one node of the SMB monitor on-line the internal concentration profiles. Excellent agreement between the calculated and the experimentally determined concentration profiles was obtained under nonlinear conditions. The influence of column-to-column variations on the performance of the SMB process was found to be more significant under nonlinear than under linear conditions.

Measurement of the degree of internal friction of two native silica packing materials

The degree of internal friction of two different packing materials for liquid chromatography (Kromasil NP10 and DuPont Pro Sil) has been measured using conventional methods of the mechanics of continuous solids applied in the study of the storage, handling and processing of powders. The former material was found to have a lower angle of internal friction and to flow more freely than the latter one. Possible relationships between these properties and the qualities of the column beds obtained are discussed.