A contact tray for use in a mass transfer or heat exchange column and having a tray deck with an inlet area and a remotely positioned outlet for respectively receiving liquid on the tray deck and then removing the liquid after it has flowed across the tray deck and interacted with another fluid on and above the tray deck. A plurality of barriers are positioned between the inlet area and the outlet. The barriers each have spaced-apart pickets and openings in the spacing between adjacent ones of the pickets. The pickets impede the flow of the liquid and increase the upstream liquid loading on the tray deck as the liquid flows from the inlet area, through the openings, and then into the outlet. At low liquid flow rates, this increase in the liquid loading may significantly increase the vapor handling capacity of the tray.

Condensing apparatuses and their use in various heat and mass exchange systems are generally described. The condensing apparatuses, such as bubble column condensers, may employ a heat exchanger positioned external to the condensing vessel to remove heat from a bubble column condenser outlet stream to produce a heat exchanger outlet stream. In certain cases, the condensing apparatus may also include a cooling device positioned external to the vessel configured and positioned to remove heat from the heat exchanger outlet stream to produce a cooling device outlet stream. The condensing apparatus may be configured to include various internal features, such as a vapor distribution region and/or a plurality of liquid flow control weirs and/or chambers within the apparatus having an aspect ratio of at least 1.5. A condensing apparatus may be coupled with a humidifier to form part of a desalination system, in certain cases.

Process for isolating pure 2-ethylhexyl acrylate or pure 2-propylheptyl acrylate from the corresponding crude alkyl acrylate by distillation, wherein the process is carried out in a dividing wall column (1) which has separation-active internals and vaporizer (7) and in which a dividing wall (8) is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the column to form an upper joint column region (9), a lower joint column region (14), an inflow section (10, 12) having a side feed point (2) and an offtake section (11, 13) having a side offtake point (3), the column has a number of theoretical plates in the range from 10 to 60, where the number of theoretical plates of the dividing wall column (1) relates to the sum of the theoretical plates in the joint upper column region (9), the joint lower column region (14) and the inflow section (10, 12), the side feed point (2) for the corresponding crude alkyl acrylate is arranged at a theoretical plate in the region commencing at least two theoretical plates above the bottommost theoretical plate and ending at least two theoretical plates below the uppermost theoretical plate, the side offtake point (3) for the pure 2-ethylhexyl acrylate or pure 2-propylheptyl acrylate is arranged at a theoretical plate in the region commencing at least two theoretical plates above the bottommost theoretical plate and ending at least two theoretical plates below the uppermost theoretical plate and the dividing wall (8) is arranged in the column in the region commencing at least one theoretical plate above the bottommost theoretical plate and ending at least one theoretical plate below the uppermost theoretical plate, where the ratio of amount of liquid at the upper end of the dividing wall (8) going to the enrichment section (10) and the stripping section (11) of the column is set in the range from 1:0.2 to 1:5.

Disclosed herein is a fouling-resistant system for the manufacture of a compound by distillation, the system including a reactant heating zone; a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone wherein the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactants, and wherein at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration; where each tray contacts an opposing portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from a portion contacted by a tray located above the tray and below the tray; and wherein the baffle trays are disposed in a lower portion of the distillation column.

Disclosed herein is a fouling-resistant system for the manufacture of a compound by distillation, the system including a reactant heating zone; a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone wherein the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactants, and wherein at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration; where each tray contacts an opposing portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from a portion contacted by a tray located above the tray and below the tray; and wherein the baffle trays are disposed in a lower portion of the distillation column.

A distillation column and tray assembly is disclosed herein. The distillation column includes a removable inner tray assembly with adjustable downcomer tubes. The removable tray assembly enables the user to selectively change distillation plates when so removed. When removed, a distiller or brewer may adjust the downcomer tubes to change the fluid level on the distillation plates, or bypass certain distillation plates completely. Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of an O-ring recessed around a perimeter of the plates permitting a tight seal and reducing manufacturing costs.

A distillation column and tray assembly is disclosed herein. The distillation column includes a removable inner tray assembly with adjustable downcomer tubes. The removable tray assembly enables the user to selectively change distillation plates when so removed. When removed, a distiller or brewer may adjust the downcomer tubes to change the fluid level on the distillation plates, or bypass certain distillation plates completely. Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of an O-ring recessed around a perimeter of the plates permitting a tight seal and reducing manufacturing costs.

A vapor-liquid contact tray apparatus includes a tray having a plurality of apertures for passage of fluid through the tray. The apertures are arranged in a first group of three adjacent rows extending substantially parallel to a main liquid flow path of the tray. Apertures of the middle row are offset along the main liquid flow path on the tray from adjacent apertures of the other two rows to form a triangular pattern of adjacent apertures across the three adjacent rows. The apertures have a length and a width, each length is oriented substantially parallel to its row and each width is oriented substantially perpendicular to its row. Centers of adjacent apertures within each row are separated by a first spacing which is equal to or between 2.5 and 4.5 times the average length of the apertures in that row. Adjacent rows are separated by a second spacing which is equal to or between 1.5 and 2.5 times the average width of the apertures of the adjacent rows.

A vapor-liquid contact tray apparatus includes a tray having a plurality of apertures for passage of fluid through the tray. The apertures are arranged in a first group of three adjacent rows extending substantially parallel to a main liquid flow path of the tray. Apertures of the middle row are offset along the main liquid flow path on the tray from adjacent apertures of the other two rows to form a triangular pattern of adjacent apertures across the three adjacent rows. The apertures have a length and a width, each length is oriented substantially parallel to its row and each width is oriented substantially perpendicular to its row. Centers of adjacent apertures within each row are separated by a first spacing which is equal to or between 2.5 and 4.5 times the average length of the apertures in that row. Adjacent rows are separated by a second spacing which is equal to or between 1.5 and 2.5 times the average width of the apertures of the adjacent rows.

A process for isolating pure tert-butyl (meth)acrylate from crude tert-butyl (meth)acrylate by distillation, wherein the process is carried out in a dividing wall column having separation-active internals and a vaporizer and in which a dividing wall is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the column to form an upper joint column region, a lower joint column region, an inflow section having a side feed point, and an offtake section having a side offtake point, where the column has from 20-80 theoretical plates and the ratio of the amount of liquid at the upper end of the dividing wall going to the enrichment section and the stripping section of the column is set in the range from 1:0.2 to 1:5.