At Achema 2024 (Frankfurt, Germany; June 10–15), Sulzer Chemtech (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.com) revealed MellapakEvo (photo), the latest addition to its structured-packing product family. The MellapakEvo structured packing has been developed to enhance the efficiency and capacity of distillation columns, maximizing performance while minimizing energy consumption with a lower pressure drop. The new design allows it to offer up to 40% greater efficiency compared to MellapakPlus 252.Y at similar capacity, or 20% more capacity compared to MellapakPlus 452.Y at similar efficiency, the company says. The comparisons were confirmed by an independent, international organization.
The increased performance of the MellapakEvo structured packing is a result of several innovative changes to its structure. The optimized packing geometry of MellapakEvo enhances liquid spreading and improves liquid surface renewal, which is critical to the mass transfer required in a distillation column. Greater interaction between liquid and gas phases ensures a more efficient mass transfer. Moreover, the structured packing is suitable for a wide range of distillation processes. It is said to be ideal for use in diverse applications in the chemical process industries (CPI) where its ability to offer both high efficiency and a low pressure drop is vital.