PURPOSE: To provide a method for continuously separating and purifying tocopherols by simple treatment good in operating efficiency.
CONSTITUTION: This method for producing tocopherol is to pass a raw material containing homologous tocopherols having mutually different affinities for silica gel through an endless circuit of unit packed columns filled with the silica gel and separate each tocopherol. The method comprises operating an apparatus in the order of the first step for forming plural adsorption zones in which components different in the affinities are respectively enriched in the circuit and taking out the enriched fraction from the terminal of the adsorption zone where the component of the strongest affinity is enriched while feeding the raw material fluid from the top of the adsorption zone where component of the weakest affinity is enriched and the second step for circulating the fluid through the circuit while feeding a fluid of an eliminating agent of toluene/ propanol without feeding the raw material fluid and respectively taking out the components remaining in the first step from terminals of the two adsorption zones as one cycle for a prescribed time, and then, repeating the operations to shift feeding positions of the raw material fluid and eliminating agent fluid and takeout positions of each fraction to the downstream side of the circulation by one unit packed column.
MAKINODAN TAKEHIKO
YOTSUTSUKA TAKEO
SATO KOHEI
KANEKO KIKUZO
YAMASHITA NAOTO
ORGANO KK