AZURA® SMB System Solutions

Importance of the Topic

Continuous separations in chromatography address the demand for efficient, high-purity and high-yield production in industries such as pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and bioengineering. Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography enables sustainable operation by greatly reducing solvent consumption and enhancing throughput compared to conventional batch techniques.

Objectives and Overview of the Article

This document introduces the AZURA® SMB system series by KNAUER, designed for laboratory- to pilot-scale continuous chromatography. It covers the SMB principle, system configurations, instrumentation options, performance benchmarks, and a case study illustrating xylitol purification.

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

The SMB technique employs a ring of 4 to 8 columns divided into four zones (extraction, regeneration, feed and desorption) with synchronized multi-position valves to simulate countercurrent solid-liquid flow. Key components include:

• AZURA® ASM 2.2L column modules and high-pressure pumps (P 4.1S, P 6.1L)
• Seven 8-port multi-position valves for dynamic zone switching
• Flow meters (mini CORI-FLOW™ M13/M14) for precise flow, temperature and density monitoring
• Detectors: compact UV (190–500 nm), refractive index and conductivity
• Inline and manual sampling valves for process monitoring
• PurityChrom® MCC control software with SMB parameter calculator and 21 CFR Part 11 compliance

Main Results and Discussion

When compared to batch chromatography, SMB achieves:

• Solvent savings up to 90 %
• Solid-phase cost reduction up to 80 %
• Product recovery approaching 100 %
• High purity (> 99 %) and concentration retention
• Productivity gains by a factor of seven or more

In a xylitol purification case, semi-preparative columns (150 × 20 mm, 25–56 µm) yielded 1.8 g/h of 100 % pure xylitol versus 0.25 g/h in batch mode at comparable purity.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The continuous SMB process offers distinct advantages:

• Consistent high-purity separation of binary and multi-component mixtures
• Reduced solvent and energy costs
• Compact footprint and modular scale-up from milligrams to kilograms
• Applicability to chiral separations, sugar purification, bio-product recovery and petrochemical fractionation

Future Trends and Possibilities

Emerging developments include integrating advanced inline analytics, model-based process control and biocompatible valves for pharmaceutical-grade separations. Scalability to multi-component SMB and digital twin simulations will enhance process optimization and regulatory compliance.

Conclusion

KNAUER’s AZURA® SMB platforms deliver robust, flexible solutions for continuous chromatography, enabling sustainable, high-throughput separations with minimal solvent usage. Their modular design and advanced control software support rapid method development and seamless scale-up.

Used Instrumentation

• AZURA® SMB Lab and Pilot systems (ASM 2.2L, Pumps P 4.1S/P 6.1L)
• 8-port multi-position valves and sampling valves
• Flow meters: mini CORI-FLOW™ M13/M14
• Detectors: single-wavelength UV, refractive index and conductivity
• PurityChrom® MCC software
• Column ovens and holders for temperature control

References

• Application Note VTN0012: Simultaneous sampling of two product streams
• Application Note VTN0011: SMB inline sampling