Abstract: A process for the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash including a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. Dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography.

Abstract: A method of producing useful fuel fluids from solid plastic waste, including loading solid plastic waste matter into a reaction chamber to define a load, subjecting the load to HTP to extract hydrocarbon mixtures, filtering the hydrocarbon mixtures to extract solid matter, and separating the hydrocarbon mixtures into a light fraction (C1 to C25) and a heavy fraction (C26 to C31). The heavy fraction is directed to a first container and the light fraction is directed to a second container. The light fraction is separated into diesel (C8-C25), gasoline (C4-C12), and vapor (C1-C5), and the diesel is directed to a third container, the gasoline is directed to a fourth container, and the vapor is directed to a fifth container. The hydrocarbon mixtures have a carbon number distribution between C1 and C31. The pressure in the reaction chamber is typically between 0.1 and 10 MPa and the temperature in the reaction chamber is between 350 and 500 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A method of recovering substantially rare earth elements (REEs) from magnets, including first dissolving a magnet to yield a solution containing Nd, Pr, and Dy, and then equilibrating a first column with Cu2+ solution to yield a first equilibrated column, introducing the solution to the first equilibrated column, and introducing a ligand solution to the first equilibrated column to establish three bands of different liquid compositions in the column, wherein the three bands comprise a Dy/Nd mixed band, a first pure Nd band, and a Nd/Pr mixed band. Next, sending the Dy/Nd mixed band to a second column containing a Cu2+ solution and introducing a ligand solution to the second column to establish a pure Dy band and a second pure Nd band in the second column, and sending the Nd/Pr mixed band to a third column containing a Cu2+ solution and introducing a ligand solution to the third column to establish a third pure Nd band and a pure Pr band in the third column.

Abstract: A method for separating substantially pure rare earth metals and other metals from a mixed source, including putting a plurality of rare earth metals and other metals into solution to define a solution containing a plurality of respective metal ions, in at least one chromatographic column, selectively capturing ions of each respective metal with a respective ligand to define a plurality of respective discrete bands, and respectively eluting captured ions of respective metal from each respective band of the at least one chromatographic column to yield a plurality of purified solutions, each respective purified solution having a high concentration of a respective metal. The bands may either be stationary with respect to the columns, or may move through the columns.

Abstract: A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography.

Abstract: A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography.

Abstract: A method of producing substantially pure rare earth elements (REEs) from a mixture, including the steps of dissolving a mixture containing REEs in a strong acid to result in a dissolved mixture of metal ions, including that of REEs, capturing metal ions of REEs in a first set of chromatographic columns comprising strong acid cation exchange resins, washing said first set of chromatographic columns with a salt solution to remove non-adsorbing metal ions, eluting metal ions of REES from said first set of chromatographic columns with a first ligand solution to result in a solution of enriched metal ions of REEs, loading said solution of enriched metal ions of REEs onto a second set of chromatographic columns, and eluting bound metal ions of REEs stepwise from said second set of chromatographic columns using a second ligand solution to afford a substantially pure REE. The second set of chromatographic columns comprises hydrous polyvalent metal oxide selected from the group consisting of TiO2, ZrO2, or SnO2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for designing an efficient chromatographic separation process for a multicomponent mixture, such as a mixture of rare earth elements (REE), a production mixture from a pharmaceutical manufacturing or biotechnology production process, employing the concept of constant pattern mass transfer zone length (LMTZ,CP) in a non-ideal system having significant spreading of the concentration waves. This present invention can be used for ligand-assisted displacement chromatographic (LAD) as well as conventional displacement chromatographic separation processes. Since this method uses dimensionless groups, it can be used for the design of various scales of separation. This method may also find applications in a continuous process as a “multi-zone LAD process” using multiple columns.

Abstract: Presented herein is a ligand-assisted elution chromatography process for the separation of metal ions using a sorbent. In particular, the present invention discloses a process of two sets of column system in combination with two sets of eluting ligand solutions to prepare substantially pure rare earth elements, wherein the first set of column comprises strong acid cation exchange resins and the second set of chromatographic columns comprises hydrous polyvalent metal oxide selected from the group consisting of TiO2, ZrO2, or SnO2 and wherein ligand of said second ligand solution coordinates with said hydrous polyvalent metal oxide.

Abstract: Methods of refolding proteins are provided, especially cysteine-containing proteins such as insulin, proinsulin, and analogues thereof. The methods make used of tandem folding via the addition, at two different time, of two different reducing agents. A first reversible reducing agent can be added to induce folding and, at a later time, a second irreversible reducing agent can be added to prevent and/or reverse the formation of aggregates via intermolecular sulfide bonds. The methods can be used to reform a variety of cysteine-containing proteins with high yield of the native form, e.g. about 60 mol %, 70 mol %, or more.

Abstract: Presented herein is a ligand-assisted elution chromatography process for the separation of metal ions using a sorbent. In particular, the present invention discloses a process of two sets of column system in combination with two sets of eluting ligand solutions to prepare substantially pure rare earth elements, wherein the first set of column comprises strong acid cation exchange resins and the second set of chromatographic columns comprises hydrous polyvalent metal oxide selected from the group consisting of TiO2, ZrO2, or SnO2 and wherein ligand of said second ligand solution coordinates with said hydrous polyvalent metal oxide.

Abstract: A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography.

Abstract: Methods of refolding proteins are provided, especially cysteine-containing proteins such as insulin, proinsulin, and analogues thereof. The methods make used of tandem folding via the addition, at two different time, of two different reducing agents. A first reversible reducing agent can be added to induce folding and, at a later time, a second irreversible reducing agent can be added to prevent and/or reverse the formation of aggregates via intermolecular sulfide bonds. The methods can be used to reform a variety of cysteine-containing proteins with high yield of the native form, e.g. about 60 mol %, 70 mol %, or more.

Abstract: Presented herein is a ligand-assisted elution chromatography process for the separation of metal ions using a sorbent. An inorganic sorbent, titania, for example, has three types of adsorption sites: Bronsted acid (BA), Bronsted base (BB), and Lewis acid (LA). At a high pH, the BA sites can interact with the metal ions as a cation exchanger. If a ligand with COO groups is preloaded onto the sorbent, the COO— groups of the ligand can adsorb onto the LA sites. The adsorbed. ligands become strong adsorption sites for the metal ions. If the Langmuir a value for metal ion adsorption is similar to that of metal ion complexation with the ligand in the mobile phase, the different metal ions can be eluted separately with an overall selectivity which is equal to the ratio of the ligand selectivity to the sorbent selectivity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for purifying or recycling polymeric materials such as polycarbonates are disclosed. Such methods may include performing two or more extractions using differing solvent media to remove non-target materials and attain a purified composition of a target polymer. Other steps including dissolution, precipitation, filtration, and/or centrifugation may also be performed in the methods of the present invention.

Abstract: Distributed valve simulated moving beds are described in which junctions located between successive columns interrupt the flow of process fluid between columns, and either transmit the process fluid through a zone bypass to a succeeding column within the same zone or, if the junction is located between zones, direct the process fluid to an input/output line that is dedicated to the particular zone that immediately follows the junction. At each step of the SMB's operation, the distribution of flows in each junction is modulated to accomplish movement of ports consistent with the SMB's design. Further described are simulated moving beds that contain one or more decoupled on-line regeneration zones. The regeneration zone is decoupled from the separation zones in the sense that it observes a step time (a “regeneration interval”) that is different than the step time observed by the separation zones of the SMB.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the optimization of a four zone simulated moving bed system configured to separate a first component from a mixture containing the first component and a second component wherein the first component exhibits non-linear adsorption and non-negligible mass transfer resistances. In one example, the four zone simulated moving bed is optimized to separate Clarithromycin from a mixture containing Clarithromycin and 6,11-O-methyl erythromycin A. The present invention further comprises a four zone or a five zone apparatus having a first portion and a second portion and the optimization of the four zone or five zone apparatus to separate a first component from a mixture containing the first component and a second component and the method of using the same. In one example, the four zone and five zone simulated moving beds are optimized to separate Clarithromycin from a mixture containing Clarithromycin and 6,11-O-methyl erythromycin A.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the optimization of a four zone simulated moving bed system configured to separate a first component from a mixture containing the first component and a second component wherein the first component exhibits non-linear adsorption and non-negligible mass transfer resistances. In one example, the four zone simulated moving bed is optimized to separate Clarithromycin from a mixture containing Clarithromycin and 6,11-O-methyl erythromycin A. The present invention further comprises a four zone or a five zone apparatus having a first portion and a second portion and the optimization of the four zone or five zone apparatus to separate a first component from a mixture containing the first component and a second component and the method of using the same. In one example, the four zone and five zone simulated moving beds are optimized to separate Clarithromycin from a mixture containing Clarithromycin and 6,11-O-methyl erythromycin A.

Abstract: Simulated moving beds for the chromatographic purification of insulin are provided. The insulin can be resolved from one or more components, using one or more simulated moving bed rings. Methods for designing simulated moving beds for the purification of insulin, and optimizing the operating parameters of the simulated moving beds, are also provided based upon the standing wave design.