The present invention relates to a column (1) for a thermal treatment of a mixture of compounds having a tendency to polymerization. The column (1) comprises a mass transfer tray (5) comprising a rising tube (8) having an inlet opening (9) below and an outlet opening (10) above the mass transfer tray (5). The rising tube (8) further comprises a lateral opening (11) above the mass transfer tray close to the upper surface of the mass transfer tray (5). Said rising tube (8) is adapted to form a fountain (13) at the outlet opening (10) by atomization of a liquid fraction of the mixture of compounds from the mass transfer tray that enters through the lateral opening into the rising tube (8). The fountain (13) is sprayed to a spot (16) of the column (1) where polymerization is likely to occur. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a thermal separating process that uses such column (1).

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 multi-plate scrubber is provided, and more particularly, a multi-plate scrubber including plates having different shapes to purify polluting gas is provided. According to the multi-plate scrubber, the polluting gas is effectively purified by increasing chances of contact between the polluting gas and circulating water by using various plates having different shapes.

A tray (100) for a gas/liquid contact column, comprising a plurality of chimneys (108) jutting over a portion (101) of the upper face of the tray for the exclusive passage of gas through the tray; they are substantially parallelepipedal and mutually parallel. At least one of the chimneys (108) is surmounted by an elevated hat (108) with a streamlined profile which prevents the passage of liquid through the chimney. The hat comprises a lower body (180) which is substantially semi-cylindrical, elongated along the longitudinal axis Y and open towards the top, extended laterally by two planar fins (181, 182) inclined towards the axis of revolution (R) of the lower body at an angle in the range 0 to 30 with respect to the axis Z passing through the chimneys, aligned with their height.

The invention relates to a fluid collection device (8), in particular a support collector unit for collecting fluid flowing through a packing (4) of a material exchange column (1), wherein the fluid collection device (8) comprises a support ring (11), a plurality of support profiles (12-16) secured to the support ring (11) for supporting the at least one packing (4), and a plurality of collection channels (19-21) secured to the support ring (11) for collecting the fluid, wherein the collection channels (19-21) are positioned in parallel to the support profiles (12-16) and wherein the support profiles (12-16) are arranged in such a way that they are each arranged in a no-flow area (40, 41) of one of the collection channels (19-21).

The invention relates to a fluid collection device (8), in particular a support collector unit for collecting fluid flowing through a packing (4) of a material exchange column (1), wherein the fluid collection device (8) comprises a support ring (11), a plurality of support profiles (12-16) secured to the support ring (11) for supporting the at least one packing (4), and a plurality of collection channels (19-21) secured to the support ring (11) for collecting the fluid, wherein the collection channels (19-21) are positioned in parallel to the support profiles (12-16) and wherein the support profiles (12-16) are arranged in such a way that they are each arranged in a no-flow area (40, 41) of one of the collection channels (19-21).

A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene is provided, along with an absorber apparatus. The process comprises: supplying a gas composition to an absorber comprising a column of vertically stacked trays, wherein each of the vertically stacked trays comprises: a perforated gas-liquid contacting member or members, a liquid inlet area, an outlet weir extending vertically above a surface of the tray at an opposite end of the tray from the liquid inlet area and having a height of at least 200 mm and at most 1500 mm, and a downcomer element which, in cooperation with an inner surface of a wall of the column, forms a downcomer for the passage of liquid downwardly to the liquid inlet area of an adjacent vertically stacked tray below, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through the alkylene oxide absorber.

A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene is provided, along with an absorber apparatus. The process comprises: supplying a gas composition to an absorber comprising a column of vertically stacked trays, wherein each of the vertically stacked trays comprises: a perforated gas-liquid contacting member or members, a liquid inlet area, an outlet weir extending vertically above a surface of the tray at an opposite end of the tray from the liquid inlet area and having a height of at least 200 mm and at most 1500 mm, and a downcomer element which, in cooperation with an inner surface of a wall of the column, forms a downcomer for the passage of liquid downwardly to the liquid inlet area of an adjacent vertically stacked tray below, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through the alkylene oxide absorber.

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.

The invention relates to a crossflow tray for a mass transfer column (27) in which a gas is conducted in countercurrent to a liquid, the crossflow tray (1) having passage orifices (3) for the gas and at least two downcomers (5), the downcomers (5) projecting beyond the top surface of the crossflow tray (1) and a collecting cup (13) being disposed beneath each downcomer (5). The downcomer (5) projects into the collecting cup (13), the minimum horizontal cross-sectional area of the collecting cup (13) is 1.2 to 4 times greater than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the downcomer (5) at the outlet, and the collecting cup (13) has a circumferential wall (15) having an overflow (19). The invention further relates to a mass transfer column comprising the crossflow trays and to a use of the mass transfer column.