Preparative countercurrent chromatography with a slowly rotating helical tube array

摘要

A method and apparatus for continuous countercurrent chromatography employing a coiled column array slowly rotating about its axis, mounted on a frame which can be angularly adjusted to a desirable angle. The column can be filled with a stationary phase liquid and eluted with a mobile phase liquid by means of a pump; solute can be introduced through a sample port. The mobile phase liquid and sample are introduced through a first rotating seal. An outlet line leading to a monitor and fraction collector is connected to the column array through a second rotating seal. When the column array is filled with the stationary phase and is eluted with the mobile phase in the proper direction, nearly half of the stationary phase may be retained while constantly mixed with the mobile phase; consequently, solutes introduced through the sample port are subjected to an efficient partition process and are separated according to their relative partition coefficients.