Surfactant-aided size-exclusion chromatography (SASEC) is applied to the viral clearance of blood proteins, taking BSA as an example. Fixed bed systems as well as simulated moving bed (SMB) systems are examined. SASEC shows a better performance of this separation in terms of log reduction value (LRV), productivity of BSA, yield on BSA and solvent consumption compared to normal size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) in fixed bed as well as in SMB systems. (c) 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers