(129c) New Random Packing Development, Superblend 2-Pac(Tm) Technology, Goes beyond Third Generation Random Packing Performance

SuperBlend 2-Pac? (SB-2Pac?) technology is the patented blending of any random packing of different sizes in a single bed. Amistco has applied this technology to its high performance packing, AHPP?. The distillation performance data on the packing in Ccyclohexane/n-Heptane (C6/C7) system at 4.83 psia, 24 psia, and 60 psia will be presented on two sizes of SuperBlend 2-Pac packing (SB-2Pac 2540 packing and SB-2Pac 4050 packing). Air/water pressure drop data (5 gpm/ft2 thru 35 gpm/ft2) will also be presented as well SuperBlend 2-Pac performance in the absorption of ambient CO2 in to 0.1 NaOH solutions. The Separation Research Program (SRP) at the University of Texas at Austin performed the test, collected and analyzed the data. All of the test columns used were 16.8 in ID with 10 ft of packed height.

The test results indicate that the mixed bed of packing has the pressured drop and capacity of the larger size packing and the efficiency of the smaller size packing comprising the bed. The blended bed technology can be used to replace an existing bed of the larger packing and thereby improve the separation efficiency while maintaining the present operation capacity and pressure drop without replacing the existing internals. Conversely, an existing bed of the smaller packing can be replaced with a blended bed and maintain the present operating efficiency while increasing the throughput and lowering the pressure drop. When swapping out existing packed bed as just described, it is possible to achieve efficiency increases up to 25% and capacity increases up to 15% while maintaining essentially the same or better pressure drop. Where possible comparisons will be made to the performance of commonly used third generation packings.