Chromatogramsoftocopherolhomologueswereobtainedbyacolumnofanalyticalsize(innerdiameter(ID)0.46cmcm×10cm)packedwithsilicagel.Adsorptionisothermsandfilmmass-transfercoefficientwereestimatedfromthechroma-togramsbyusingageneralratemodel,whichconsidersaxialdispersion,externalmass-transferandintraparticlediffusion.Basedontheobtainedisothermsandmass-transfercoefficient,theseparationprocessoftocopherolhomologuesonsimulatedmovingbed(SMB)wassimulatedusingthesamemodel.Accordingtothesimulatedresults,amixtureofα-,γ-,δ-tocopherolsandotherimpuritieswasseparatedonanSMBequipment.TheSMBequipmentwascomposedof8columnsofID2cm×10cm,with2columnsineachsection.Thesolidphasewassilicagel,andthemobilephasewasn-hexane/2-propanol(99/1byvolume).γ-andδ-tocopherolsofpuritygreaterthan98%wereobtainedwithrecoverygreaterthan98%.Theeffectsofoperatingconditions(flowratesandswitchingtime)ontheperformanceofSMBwerestudiedbybothsimulationandexperiments.Itwasfoundthatallthesimulationresultswerequiteclosetotheexperimentalresults.WeconcludethatprocessdevelopmentandoptimizationofoperatingconditionsofSMBbysimulationarefeasible.
