Preparative closed-loop recycling (CLR) chromatography is a process concept often employed in cases of low selectivity. it is well known for increasing recovery yield as well as productivity compared to the classical one cycle batch process. A versatile method for design and scale-up of CLR processes, starting either from model-based optimisation or from empirically developed processes. is proposed in this paper. The scaling method is approached from theoretical considerations, keeping the dimensionless process parameters loading factor, number of plates and the here introduced recycle number and plant Peclet number constant. We experimentally prove the validity of the theoretical assumptions implementing three different closed-loop recycling processes with and without applying the peak shaving technique. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.