Experimental characterization of novel SiC foam corrugated structured packing with varied pore size and corrugation angle

In our study, SiC foam material has been applied to produce corrugated structured packing in distillation. Three kinds of novel packing with different pore size and corrugation angle have been developed and tested in pilot scale, respectively, to investigate the influence of structural parameters on the performance of SiC foam corrugated structured packing. Hydraulic parameters including pressure drop for dry and wet packing and flooding velocity are determined in an organic glass tower of 600 mm internal diameter, using gas–water. Mass transfer efficiency (HETP) is measured by total reflux experiments in a column with a 310 mm diameter at atmospheric pressure, using a mixture of n-heptane and cyclohexane. The experimental results indicate that SFP-500YD3 with a smaller pore size has higher dry and wet pressure drop, lower flooding velocity and higher mass transfer efficiency compared with SFP-500Y-D5. SFP-500X-D3 with a 30° corrugation angle exhibits lowest pressure drop and highest separation efficiency among all three packings. This study reveals the influence of structural characteristics of SiC foam corrugated structured packing on its performance.