Development Of The 7-ACA Purification Process Using Continuous Resin Separation Technology

7-ACA is an important intermediate for the production of semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic. Purification of 7-ACA lysate is a key step in the process of 7-ACA production. However, there are many disadvantages in purification process using the method of fixed resin bed ion exchange, which is commonly used in the 7-ACA production. Contrastively, continuous resin separation technology shows some advantages, and has been applied in many fields. In this research, the continuous resin separation technology was used for purifying 7-ACA lysate in pilot scale. Results showed that it was feasible to purify the lysate of 7-ACA using the method of continuous resin separation, and the quality and the yield of products obtained in this way all meet the requirements. Also, a large amount of resin, chemicals for resin regeneration, desorbent and water could be saved.In pilot-scale experiments 7-ACA yield of 99% was obtained. Results showed that using the method of continuous ion exchange the consumption of resin, alkali, desorbent, water and acid were 73%,65%,56%,22% and 11% less, respectively, compared with those of using fixed resin bed. Thus, the production cost was significantly reduced.According to the experimental results, an optimized scheme of 7-ACA production was provided. Considering the daily treatment capacity of 200m3 7-ACA lysate, the equipment scale, the connection manner of valve port and the parameter at each valve port such as flow, pressure and liquid properties were calculated and then designed. Those data provided the basis for modifying the purification of 7-ACA using continuous resin separation technology.