
This reduces flooding, aids in separation, and increases flow rate. The use of structured packing here allows a more even flow rate of these heavier compounds, which ends up spreading the gases evenly throughout the column. This can hinder separation when compared to a more organized, structured packing. However, when distilling higher boiling point compounds, random packing tends to flood in some cases, due to uneven gas flow. When distilling lower-boiling-point compounds, packing materials like: heli-pack, glass raschig rings, and pro pak packing work well. These variables will affect the performance of the distilling column. (An example of a connected packable distillation head)ĭifferent packing materials will have different surface areas and spacing between them. Mass transfer is the total movement of mass from one location to another, which includes the separation of chemicals in distillation columns. This, in turn, allows mass transfer to take place. Packed distillation columns allow gas to flow over the packing placed within the distillation head, while liquids tend to wet the surface of the packing material itself. This result can be beneficial when operating under vacuum in some cases. Using packing offers the advantage of lower pressure drops across the fractionating column when compared to plates or trays. Structured packing, on the other hand, can be arranged or stacked in a set pattern.

Randomly packed columns are created by randomly placing packing into the center of the distillation head.

When packing a column, you can choose to have either a: random packed column or utilize structured packing.

The separation of compounds in this phase involves processes like:ĭistillation columns that are able to hold packing are usually an empty tube that can be filled with packing material, such as metal, glass and various other materials. Different materials, when placed into the distillation column, achieve different effects. In the chemistry industry, a packed distillation column (or fractionating column) is a kind of bed which aids in the separation process. Distillation Column Packing for Packable Heads – A Complete Guide
