Mass Transfer Characteristics of Bale-Type Catalytic Distillation Packings

The aim of this work was to evaluate the mass-transfer efficiency of the bale-type catalytic distillation packing as function of its main physical properties: external surface area and amount of catalyst. The overall gas phase mass-transfer coefficient and HETP values were calculated from experimental data. Experiments were carried out absorbing CO2 in an aqueous solution of mono-ethanol-amine (MEA), using packings of different physical properties in a laboratory column of 1-in. diameter. The results show that the main mass transfer resistance is in the liquid phase and that the external area and amount of catalyst of the packing enhance the vapor–liquid mass-transfer rate. Several mass transfer models were evaluated but none of them properly reproduces the experimental data.