Process for separating a ketose from an aldose by selective adsorption

Claim 1

A process for separating a fructose from a mixture comprising a fructose and a glucose which process employs an adsorbent selected from the group consisting of Y and X zeolites containing at exchangeable cationic sites thereof at least one cation selected from the group consisting of, in the case of Y zeolite, ammonium, sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, barium and combinations thereof, and, in the case of X zeolite, barium, sodium and strontium and combinations thereof, which process comprises the steps of: (a) maintaining net fluid flow through a column of said adsorbent in a single direction, which column contains at least three zones having separate operational functions occurring therein and being serially interconnected with the terminal zones of said column connected to provide a continuous connection of said zones; (b) maintaining an adsorption zone in said column, said zone defined by the adsorbent located between a feed input stream at an upstream boundary of said zone and a raffinate output stream at a downstream boundary of said zone; (c) maintaining a purification zone immediately upstream from said adsorption zone, said purification zone defined by the adsorbent located between an extract output stream at an upstream boundary of said purification zone and said feed input stream at a downstream boundary of said purification zone; (d) maintaining a desorption zone immediately upstream from said purification zone, said desorption zone defined by the adsorbent located between a desorbent input stream at an upstream boundary of said zone and said extract output stream at a downstream boundary of said zone; (e) passing said feed mixture into said adsorption zone at a temperature within the range of from about 20° C. to about 200° C. and a pressure within the range of from about atmospheric to about 500 psig to effect the selective adsorption of said fructose by said adsorbent in said adsorption zone and withdrawing a raffinate output stream from said adsorption zone; (f) passing a desorbent material into said desorption zone at a temperature within the range of from about 20° C. to about 200° C. and a pressure within the range of from about atmospheric to about 500 psig to effect the displacement of said fructose and desorbent material from said desorption zone; (g) withdrawing an extract output stream comprising said fructose and desorbent material from said desorption zone; (h) passing at least a portion of said extract output stream to and therein separating at separation conditions at least a portion of said desorbent material to produce a fructose product stream having a reduced concentration of desorbent material; and, (i) periodically advancing through said column of adsorbent in a downstream direction with respect to fluid flow in said adsorption zone the feed input stream, raffinate output stream, desorbent input stream, and extract output stream to effect the shifting of zones through said adsorbent and the production of extract output and raffinate output streams.