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The Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) concept has been applied to the separation of different mixtures as a continuous counter current separation process, avoiding several problems related with solid motion. The aim of this work is to present some relevant examples of SMB separations corresponding to the two major ages in the use of the SMB concept, here named "old" and "new" applications. The "old" applications of SMB technology in the petrochemical industry are still important, with large and highly productive units; and the "new" applications of the second "age" of SMB concept are from the fine chemical, pharmaceutical and biochemistry areas, associated with the demand of high purity products during the last 10 years. Different examples are presented for different ages: a UOP Parex R process for the "old", modelled with the equivalent True Moving Bed (TMB) approach; and a chiral resolution for the "new", modelled by the real SMB model. Some of the latest developments are also mentioned: the non conventional techniques as the Varicol R process, PowerFeed, Modicon, M3C or Enriched Extract-SMB (EE-SMB), MultiFeed (MF), Outlet Streams Swing (OSS) or Pseudo-SMB, involving considerable changes in the SMB concept itself. The use of the last optimization/modelling packages P. Sá Gomes . M. Minceva . A. E. Rodrigues ( ) Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering

This work presents a comprehensive insight about simulated moving bed (SMB) technology, from concept to unit operation and process demonstration. A particular relevance is given to SMB nonconventional modes of operation, modeling, and design of SMB-based separations as well as to the construction and operation of SMB units. A conventional separation of a racemic mixture of (S,R)-a-tetralol by means of the FlexSMB-LSRE® unit is addressed to better exemplify a state-ofthe-art SMB lab-scale process development and demonstration.