Plastic Random Packing History

Plastic Random Packing has come a long way over the years in regards to design and performance. Before 1915 packed columns were filled with coal or randomly with ceramic or glass shards. This first generation of random packing was very crude and performance was unpredictable. Around this time ceramic saddles and rings were introduced and became the standard of the industry for decades. In the mid 1960’s more complex variations of the rings and saddles were introduced. Random Packing designs began to focus more on the performance and efficiency of the packing, addressing the geometric surface area vs. void space of the tower packing. Since then random packing has evolved significantly and is now available in a variety of styles, sizes and materials of construction. High performance Plastic Random Packing is now the industry standard due to its efficiency, corrosion resistance, lightweight and availability in a variety of resins.

Many different configurations and designs have been introduced into the market but there are only a few that match the quality and value of the Tripack. The Tripack is a hollow spherical column packing constructed of a unique network of ribs, struts, and drop rods. Plastic Tripacks are distinguished from other packing by its superior geometric shape. Their spherical shape allows each element to roll into the “packed position” without forming void areas common to irregular shaped packing or those with excessive pins and appurtenances. With Tripacks there is no need for allowances for settling and nesting in virtually impossible.

The spherical Tripack offers reliable and predictable performance. In addition to the superior geometric shape, an active service area is vital to mass transfer. The unique network of ribs, struts and drip rods have proven to give the Tripacks a distinct advantage in providing excellent wetting qualities and maintaining liquid distribution throughout the packed bed. Some manufacturers of plastic random packing claim their packing has more surface area, but surface area alone is not an indication of performance. Excessive surface area can impede proper gas and liquid contact and always result in higher pressure drop which increases horsepower requirements and operating cost. The Tripack offers an optimum surface area to open area ratio which yields excellent mass transfer efficiency and reduced operating cost. The Tripack is available in three sizes, 1”, 2”, and 3.5”. It is also available in a variety of resins including Polypropylene, Polypropylene with glass, Polyethylene, CPVC, Kynar, Tefzel, Teflon, Halar and more.KemFlo’s standard Polypropylene is certified by NSF to Standard 61 for water treatment applications. Pressure drop data for this packing and other packing styles manufactured by KemFlo are available on our website.

KemFlo also manufactures a Plastic Pall Ring and Plastic Saddle Style Random packing. The Kempac plastic Pall Ring is a robust packing featuring an open wall construction which maintains even liquid distribution and reinforced struts which provide additional surface area for gas-liquid contact. The Kempac Plastic Pall Ring is available in 1”, 2”, 3.5” sizes. The Kempac plastic saddle packing offers a distinct advantage over conventional saddle designs due to its serrated edges which promote high mass transfer rates through effective liquid surface renewal. The serrated edges of the Kempac plastic saddle packing reduce bed settling during operation and assist to maintain packing free space and create lower column pressure drop. The Kempac Plastic Saddle packing is available in 1”, 2” and 3” sizes and in a variety of resins.