Separation efficiency and pressure drop of SiC ceramic and Mellapak structured packings

This paper describes application of SiC ceramic foam to distillation. The investigated foam SiC ceramic packing and smooth SiC ceramic packing parameters in geometrical characteristics are similar to the Mellapale structured packing parameters. The hydrodynamic performance parameters including pressure drop for dry and wet packing, flood velocity, and liquid hold-up, which are determined in a plexiglas tower of a 100-mm internal diameter. The mass transfer efficiency is measured in another glass tower of a 100-mm internal diameter by total reflux experiments, using a mixture of n-heptane and cyclohexane at atmospheric pressure. The experimental results show that the foam SiC ceramic structured packing has a higher dry and wet pressure drop, higher liquid hold-up, higher mass transfer efficiency, and unchanged flood velocity, comparing with a smooth SiC ceramic structured packing with the same shape. Comparison of the experimental data on the separation efficiency and relative pressure drop was performed for foam/smooth SiC ceramic and metal Mellapak structured packings.