CHROMATOGRAPHIC PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHLY PURIFIED POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

摘要

The invention relates to a process for recovering a first polyunsaturated fatty acid from a feed mixture, wherein the feed mixture comprises at least a second fatty acid in addition to the first polyunsaturated fatty acid, the process comprising: - performing a main step of chromatographic separation using an aqueous organic eluent and thereby collecting a first stream of eluent enriched in the first polyunsaturated fatty acid and a second stream of eluent enriched in the second fatty acid; - subjecting the second stream of eluent to a concentration step so as to obtain a stream of concentrated fatty acids on the one hand and a depleted second stream of eluent on the other hand, wherein the water-to-organic ratio of the depleted second stream of eluent is lower than the water-to-organic ratio of the second stream of eluent; recycling at least part of the depleted second stream of eluent to use it in the main step of chromatographic separation.