Ksource Structured packing

The term structured packing refers to a range of specially designed materials for use in absorption and distillation columns and chemical reactors. Structured packings typically consist of thin corrugated metal plates or gauzes arranged in a way that force fluids to take complicated paths through the column, thereby creating a large surface area for contact between different phases.

Structured packing is formed from corrugated sheets of perforated embossed metal, plastic (including PTFE) or wire gauze. The result is a very open honeycomb structure with inclined flow channels giving a relatively high surface area but with very low resistance to gas flow. The surface enhancements have been chosen to maximize liquid spreading. These characteristics tend to show significant performance benefits in low pressure and low irrigation rate applications

Applications

Typical applications include vacuum and atmospheric crude oil fractionators, FCC main fractionators and TEG contactors. The separation of mono-, di- and triethanolamine, conducted under vacuum, may also utilize structured packing, owing to its relatively low pressure drop. Tall oil fractionation, the process of separating fatty acids from rosin acids and pitch obtained as a by-product of the Kraft process of wood pulp manufacture, also utilizes structured packing. The packing additionally finds use in the manufacture of styrene monomer and the dehydration of glycol in natural gas processing.

Structured packing also finds use in the equipment/processes below:

· Air separation

· Cyclohexanone/Cyclohexanol separation

· Xylene splitters

· CO₂ absorbers

· H₂S absorbers

· Ethylene oxide absorbers

· Acrylonitrile absorbers

· Oleo Chemicals 

· Fine Chemicals 

Advantages

Structured packing offers the following advantages as compared to the use of random packing and trays:

· Lower pressure drop

· Higher efficiency (given the same tower height)

· Higher capacity

· Reduced liquid hold-up