Mass transfer packing with a minimal surface or a triply periodic minimal surface which enables significantly improved performance for separation and mixing applications particularly with respect to distillation, liquid-liquid contacting, and heat exchange applications.

A catalytic distillation structure that may include a rigid framework having at least two grids with a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Additionally, each horizontal fluid permeable tubes may have a profile of a six-sided polygon. Further, the catalytic distillation structure may include a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Furthermore, the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

A high capacity and high efficiency co-current and cross-flow vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by an arrangement of contacting modules and perforated receiving pans in horizontal stages. The modules define a co-current contacting volume and in an exemplary configuration the modules include a liquid distributor and a demister. Liquid dispensed from the modules on a perforated receiving pan are contacted with upflowing vapor through perforations therein.

A high capacity and high efficiency co-current and cross-flow vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by an arrangement of contacting modules and perforated receiving pans in horizontal stages. The modules define a co-current contacting volume and in an exemplary configuration the modules include a liquid distributor and a demister. Liquid dispensed from the modules on a perforated receiving pan are contacted with upflowing vapor through perforations therein.

The present invention provides a process for recovering transition metal tetrahalides from a waste stream coming from a catalyst manufacturing process by (a) establishing a mixed stream comprising transition metal tetrahalide and transition metal alkoxyhalides; (b) forming a falling liquid film from the mixed stream of step (a) at a temperature of from 25 to 85 C. and an absolute pressure of from 0.05 to 0.6 bar; and (c) establishing from the film of step (b) a first vapour stream containing from 90 to 100% of recoverable components and a second liquid stream containing about 10 to 80% of titanium haloalkoxides.

A catalytic distillation structure that may include a rigid framework having at least two grids with a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Additionally, each horizontal fluid permeable tubes may have a profile of a six-sided polygon. Further, the catalytic distillation structure may include a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Furthermore, the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

A high capacity and high efficiency co-current and cross-flow vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by an arrangement of offset contacting modules in horizontal stages. The modules define a co-current contacting volume and in an exemplary configuration the modules include a liquid distributor and a demister. Half modules comprise downcomers against the shell of the vessel for transporting liquid to the subjacent stage.

A high capacity and high efficiency co-current and cross-flow vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by an arrangement of offset contacting modules in horizontal stages. The modules define a co-current contacting volume and in an exemplary configuration the modules include a liquid distributor and a demister. Half modules comprise downcomers against the shell of the vessel for transporting liquid to the subjacent stage.

A high capacity and high efficiency vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by a half module comprising a downcomer against a shell of a vessel for transporting liquid to a subjacent stage which utilizes a demister to effect vapor-liquid separation at the downcomer outlet.

A high capacity and high efficiency vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by a half module comprising a downcomer against a shell of a vessel for transporting liquid to a subjacent stage which utilizes a demister to effect vapor-liquid separation at the downcomer outlet.