High performance continuous reaction/separation process using a continuous liquid-solid contactor

A process for reaction and separation using a liquid-solid contacting apparatus which comprises:

• (a) inputting a process material into at least one column of a plurality of columns packed with media, each said column having at least one inlet for accepting a flow of said process material from another column or group of columns, an external feed stream, an external eluent stream or a combination thereof, and at least one outlet for connecting to another column, a group of columns, an external product stream or a combination thereof;
• each said column being independently operable in an up-flow or down-flow mode and connected independently to one of the group comprising another column, an external feed stream, an external eluent stream, an external product stream and combinations thereof;
• (b) reacting and separating said process material in one or more said columns;
• and
• (c) extracting material therefrom.

In a process using a liquid-solid contacting apparatus having a multiport rotary valve for directing fluid streams comprising:

• (a) a first head having opposed surfaces, comprising at least two first ports located on the same surface for connection with an external fluid stream, and having a separate channel associated with each first port leading to a second port corresponding to the first port and located on the surface opposite the first port;
• (b) a rotatable second head having at least two third ports each in communication with a separate second port and channel and located on a surface in contact with the surface of the first head containing the second ports, said third ports leading to an inlet or outlet of a chamber containing a fluid-solid contacting medium so as to form a fluid seal between the chamber and an external fluid stream;
• and
• (c) a drive for rotating at least one of said heads to interconnect a selected external fluid stream with a selected chamber for a predetermined period of time before permitting interconnection of said external fluid stream with a different chamber;
• and
• (d) the ports being configurable to permit said external fluid streams to be delivered to multiple or successive chambers in series or in parallel or to bypass a selected chamber simultaneous with the delivery of other external fluid streams;
• the improvement therein comprising flowing a process material through said chambers to react and separate said flow material.