Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02285425 1999-09-29
A device for continuous annular chromatography
The invention relates to a device for the continuous annular chromotography in
which there is provided a
relative movement between a particle bed in the form of a cylincber casing and
at least one feed location for liquid stock
material.
With column chromotography a standing cylinder with particle-like material is
filled and above is supplied
with a component mixri~re which is to be separated Subsequently from above one
continuously elutes with a solvent -
with this the components an account of their varying a~'mity to particle
material are separated proportionally to the
flow speed of the solvent (eluent) and leave the column after one another.
One differentiates between the use of a uniform solvent (isocratic operation)
and the use of several solvents
(step and gradient operation). With the step operation, the solvent is changed
without transition, with the gradient
operation the component part of the individual solvents in a solvent mixture
is changed over time.
With this elution chromotography the components are simply washed through the
column; if one on the
other hand uses in the eluent a so-called displacer, i.e. a component part
which has a higher amity to the particle
material than all previously charged components and therefore displaces these,
one talks of displacement
chromatography in which with respect to elution chromatography upgraded
fractions are obtained, but not all of the
individual components is obtainable in pure form (always also mixtures are
obtained).
In order to be able to continuously chromatograph, annular chromatography has
been developed with which
a relative movement between a particle bed in the form of a standing cylinder
casing and, arranged on its head, at least
one feed location for liquid stock material is provided for, the individual
components in spiral paths run through the
particle material and along the lower cylinder casing circumference
simultaneously exit at various circuxnferential
regions. It may e.g. be applied as HPLC, elution or displacement
chromatography and above all is operated
isocratically.
With this one differentiates between embodiment forms where the particle bed
with respect to the feed
rotates, and those in which the feed with respect to the particle bed rotates.
As an example for a literature reference
concerning an embodiment form in which the bed rotates, US 5,04,209 of
Westinghouse Electric Corp. is mentioned,
which describes the chromatic extraction of scandium and yttrium. As an
example for a literature reference
concerning an embodiment form with a stationary particle bed, US 4,149,436 of
Union Oil Comparry of California is
mentioned, which describes displacement chromatography for all pcwposes.
The invention relates to a further development of all known devices for
annular chromatography and
amongst other things achieves the object of being able to renew the particle
bed without dismantling the device.
CA 02285425 1999-09-29
For this purpose the device according to the invention above all is
characterised in that on the lower end of
the particle bed space there is provided at least one access opening to the
particle bed.
Via this access opening the bed material is emptied downwards, preferably
rinsed out with fluid; and the
device is newly charged from above. Via the access opening one may also
counter-rinse with a pressure medium, e.g.
with pressurised air the bed may be loosened The emptying as well as the new
charging of the device with bed
material is effected with the relative movement of the particle bed space and
a feed location for new particle bed
material, which may be simply provided as a tube next to the feed location for
liquid stock material.
The access opening is preferably an annular opening and in particular is
closed and opened in that the
volume of a hollow seal is changed via its inner space. Advantageously the
access opening is formed in that a hollow
seal is collapsed by applying a vacuum
It has also been conceived for forming and closing the access opening to
provide a wall of the particle bed
space displaceable at least in sections.
In the following the imrention is described in more detail by way of two
embodimem examples with reference
to the drawing in which Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in each case are schematic lateral
views in section which show a device for
the annular chromatography with a stationary feed head and a rotating particle
bed With this constnicrion,
components corresponding to one another have the same reference munerals.
On a base 1 there is arranged a fixed support platform 2 and a displaceable
carrying arm 3. The support
platform 2 is interspersed by a rotor table 4 which is driven from below and
which via a tapered roller bearing 5 is
supported on the support platform 2 and on which a base plate 6 is bolted,
said plate comprising a central raised part 7
onto which a cylindrical hollow body 8 with a cone roof 9 is placed.
Concentric to the hollow body 8 a cylinder casing
is bolted from above onto the base plate 6, wherein between the hollow body 8
and the cylinder casing 10 there
remains a vertical annular space 11 and between the lower edge of the hollow
body 8 and the upper side of the base
plate 6 there remains a horizontal gap which inwardly extends up to the
central raised part 7 and in which an annular
hollow seal 13 is arranged In the base plate there are provided passage bores
14 which connect the horizontal gap 12
to the lower side 15 of the base plate 6.
The cylinder 10 casing carries a lid 16 and this a bearing sleeve 17 with a
tapered roller bearing 18 which is
centrally supported on a stationary feeder unit 19 held by carrying arm 3, so
that all components placed on the rotor
table 4 in operation are rotated with respect to the support platform 2 and
the feeder unit 19.
The vertical annular space 11 is filled with particle-like bed material which
in the usual manner is e.g. a gel
material, an ion exchgange material or likewise and, as indicated at 20, can
be supplied via the feeder unit 19.
Likewise here liquid stock material is supplied as well as centrally at 21, an
eluent which via a distributor plate 22 and
the cone roof 9 flows away to the bed material in the space 11. On the floor
of the material bed the base plate 6 is
interspersed by a removal connection piece 23 distributed wet a circular
circumference and the support platform 2
CA 02285425 1999-09-29
3
carries a collection tub 24 for accommodating collector vessels which are not
shown. A lateral leading away tube is
indicated at 25.
If the bed material is to be changed the hollow seal 13 is collapsed via the
vacuum conduit 26, by which
means the horizontal gap 12 opens towards to the bores 14 and the bed material
is rinsed into the collector tub 24. At
27 the aeration or pressurised air conduit is indicated with which the hollow
seal 13 may be expanded during
operation of the installation.
The device shown in Fig. 2 in contrast to that of Fig. 1 does not comprise a
sealing changeable in its volume
for opening and closing the annular gap, rather the whole hollow body 8 is
lifted from the base plate 6 via a hydraulic
or pneumatic cylinder piston unit 28, 29 which is supported on the oermal part
7 of the base plate via a foot 30. With
this the lower annular edge 31 of the hollow body 8 is lifted out of a
corresponding annular groove 32 in the base plate
6, in which it is sealingty seated in the idle condition. In the base of the
annular groove 32 there are arranged the
passage bores 14. Otherwise the embodiment forms acording to Fig. 1 and 2 and
their operation are identical.
