A process for the continuous separation in fluid phase, into three fractions, of a mixture or a charge having at least three constituents, wherein a fluid comprising said mixture and solvent are caused to circulate at countercurrent on a sorbent contained in at least one separation column which has, at positions at equal distances apart, feed intakes for at least a part of the fluid circulating downstream of these intakes, outlets for drawing off at least a part of the fluid circulating downstream of the intakes, said column having a linkage or outer circulation loop for fluid between an upstream end and a downstream end, said drawing off outlets and feed intakes being displaced at countercurrent under simulated countercurrent conditions, the constituents having, relative to the sorbent and the solvent, degrees of relative adsorption which are high, moderate and low,
- the process being characterised by the combination of the following steps:
- a) six contiguous zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are determined which have separate functions and which are mutually connected in series so that said zones and the outer linkage are continuous,
- b) a zone 1 for reconditioning of the sorbent of the column is determined, said zone being defined by an amount of adsorbent disposed between an intake for rinsing current at the upstream end thereof and an outlet for the recycling current at the downstream end thereof,
- c) a zone 2 is given for adsorption of the least adsorbed of the constituent(s) in the column, said zone 2 being defined by a quantity of sorbent disposed between an outlet for a refined substance R "with weak solvent" at an upstream end of the zone and an intake for the rinsing current at a downstream end of said zone,
- d) a zone 3 is given for the adsorption of the constituent(s) which has (have) been moderately adsorbed directly upstream of zone 2, and zone 3 being defined by a quantity of sorbent disposed between an intake for said mixture at the upstream end thereof and the outlet for the refined substance R with weak solvent at the downstream end of said zone 3,
- e) a zone 4 is given for desorption of the constituent(s) which has(have) been adsorbed least of all directly upstream of zone 3, said zone 4 being defined by an amount of sorbant disposed between said intake for the mixture, and an outlet for an extract E.sub.1 with a weak solvent, defined hereinbelow, at an upstream end of said zone 4,
- f) a zone 5 is given for desorption of the moderately adsorbed constituent(s) directly upstream of zone 4, said zone 5 being defined by a quantity of sorbent disposed between said outlet for the extract E.sub.1 with weak solvent and a feed intake for weak solvent at an upstream end of zone 5,
- g) a zone 6 is given for desorption of the most adsorbed constituent(s) immediately upstream of zone 5, said zone 6 being defined by a quantity of sorbent disposed between an outlet for extract E.sub.2 with strong solvant, defined hereinbelow, at a downstream end of said zone 6 and a feed intake for strong solvent at an end upstream from said zone,
- h) a strong solvent S.sub.2 is supplied to the upstream end of zone 6, and weak solvent S.sub.1 is supplied to the upstream end of zone 5, and the upstream end of zone 3 is supplied with the mixture, the chemical nature of the solvent S.sub.2 differing from solvent S.sub.1,
- i) the mixture and a current coming from zone 4 is caused to circulate in zone 3 under conditions for adsorption permitting the adsorption of the moderately adsorbed constituent(s) in said zone 3, and the refined substance R comprising the least adsorbed constituent(s) and a part of the weak solvent are drawn off,
- j) the strong solvent S.sub.2 and part at least of the current coming from zone 1 are caused to circulate in zone 6 under desorption conditions permitting desorption of the most adsorbed constituent(s) in zone 6, and the extract E.sub.2 consisting of the most adsorbed constituent(s) and a major part of the solvent S.sub.2 are drawn off from zone 6,
- k) solvent S.sub.1 and the rest of the current from zone 6 are caused to circulate in zone 5 under desorption conditions permitting desorption of the moderately adsorbed constituent(s) in zone 5, and extract E.sub.1 consisting of the moderately adsorbed constituent(s) and a part of the solvent S.sub.1 are drawn off from zone 5,
- l) a current coming from zone 5 is caused to circulate in zone 4 under adsorption conditions permitting adsorption of the least adsorbed and moderately adsorbed constituent(s) in zone 4,
- m) the rest of the current coming from zone 3 is caused to circulate in zone 2 under adsorption conditions permitting adsorption of the last adsorbed constituent(s) in zone 2,
- n) the upstream end of zone 1 is supplied with said rinsing current containing the weak solvent S.sub.1, and said rinsing current and a current coming from zone 1 are caused to circulate under conditions permitting reconditioning of the column, and the recycling current is drawn off from the zone,
- o) the intake for the mixture, the outlet for the refined substance R, the intake for the rinsing current F, the outlet for the recycling current, the intake for the strong solvent S.sub.2, the outlet for extract E.sub.2, the intake for weak solvent S.sub.1 and the outlet for extract E.sub.1 are periodically advanced synchronously through the column of sorbent in the direction in which the mixture and solvents are circulating so as to displace the zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the column of sorbent, and so as to produce three fractions:
- the refined substance R, extract E.sub.1 and extract E.sub.2, each of the three fractions containing at least one constituent, all of the constituent(s) of each fraction being substantially recovered;
- the process furthermore being characterized in that the recycling current drawn off from the downstream end of zone 1 is caused to circulate alternatingly upstream end of zone 6 and then at the upstream end of zone 5, and characterised in that a part at least of the current drawn off at the downstream end of zone 6 is caused to circulate alternatingly at the upstream end of zone 5 and then in the direction of the outlet for the extract E2 with strong solvent S.sub.2.