How to Choose the Right Fractional Distillation Column: Packed vs Tray

Borosilicate glass fractional distillation column with structured packing internals at a Vapi specialty chemicals plant.

It was just past 4 a.m. when the night shift called me from a Vapi specialty plant. Their column was flooded. Pressure had blown past every alarm. By the time I picked up, the operators had already shut the reboiler and were watching liquid back up over the top trays. The column was six months […]