Heavy-duty packing of corrugated glass plates for columns

Claim 2

Heavy-duty packing for columns in the shape of a cylindrical stack of corrugated unitary plates made of fluid impervious unitary glass sheets wherein the corrugated plates have furrows and ridges, wherein the ridges of each plate are in contact with the furrows of each adjacent plate, which adjacent plate is oriented to extend opposite the ridges, and wherein the corrugated plates (1) are held together by at least one strap (2).

Claim 3

Heavy-duty packing according to claim 1, wherein the strap (2) is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of glass cloth and glass fiber cable.

Claim 4

Heavy-duty packing according to claim 1, wherein the strap (2) is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of shrink film and stretched film.

Claim 5

Heavy-duty packing for columns in the shape of a cylindrical stack of unitary corrugated plates of fluid impervious unitary glass sheets wherein the corrugated plates have ridges and furrows, wherein the ridges of each plate are in contact with the furrows of each adjacent plate, which adjacent plate is oriented to extend opposite the ridges, the ridges and furrows in contact being adhered to one another by an adhesive bond.

Claim 6

Heavy-duty packing for columns in the shape of a cylindrical stack of unitary corrugated plates of fluid impervious unitary glass sheets wherein the corrugated plates have ridges and furrows, wherein the ridges of each plate are in contact with the furrows of each adjacent plate, which adjacent plate is oriented to extend opposite the ridges, the ridges and furrows in contact being adhered to one another by an adhesive bond.

Claim 7

Heavy-duty packing according to claim 4, wherein the adhesive bond is comprised of an inorganic adhesive selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate bases and glass solder.

Claim 8

Packing for use in tubes forming distillation columns comprising corrugated glass plates having corrugations of adjacent plates extending at an angle with respect to one another to define channels therebetween with undulating walls; means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another in a cylindrical pack formed about a central axis and having opposed end faces with the corrugations oriented at an angle with respect to the central axis, wherein fluid traversing the pack migrates through the channels as the fluid advances from one end face through the other.

Claim 9

Packing for use in tubes forming distillation columns comprising corrugated glass plates having corrugations of adjacent plates extending at an angle with respect to one another to define channels therebetween with undulating walls; means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another in a cylindrical pack formed about a central axis and having opposed end faces with the corrugations oriented at an angle with respect to the central axis, wherein fluid traversing the pack migrates through the channels as the fluid advances from one end face through the other.

Claim 10

The packing of claim 6, wherein means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another includes a glass solder adhesive on the corrugations.

Claim 11

The packing of claim 6, wherein the means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another includes a sodium silicate adhesive.

Claim 12

The packing of claim 6, wherein the means for holding the glass plates in abutment includes a strap of glass material.

Claim 13

The packing of claim 6, wherein the means for holding the glass plates in abutment includes a strap of heat shrunk material.

Claim 14

The packing of claim 6, wherein the means for holding the glass plates in abutment includes strapping means surrounding the packing, the strapping means forming a seal with the wall of the tube forming the column.

Claim 15

In a method of mass transfer in a packed distillation column, transporting a fluid through a column having a packing therein comprising corrugated glass plates having corrugations of adjacent plates extending at an angle with respect to one another to define channels therebetween with undulating walls; means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another in a cylindrical pack formed about a central axis and having opposed end faces with the corrugations oriented at an angle with respect to the central axis, wherein fluid traversing the pack migrates through the channels as the fluid advances from one end face through the other.

Claim 16

In a method of mass transfer in a packed distillation column, transporting a fluid through a column having a packing therein comprising corrugated glass plates having corrugations of adjacent plates extending at an angle with respect to one another to define channels therebetween with undulating walls; means for holding the glass plates in abutment with one another in a cylindrical pack formed about a central axis and having opposed end faces with the corrugations oriented at an angle with respect to the central axis, wherein fluid traversing the pack migrates through the channels as the fluid advances from one end face through the other.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive is solder glass paste disposed on the corrugations at points of contact thereof and wherein the method includes the steps of heating the stack to a temperature sufficient to melt the glass solder but not the corrugated glass plates and then cooling the stack to solidity the glass solder and bond the corrugated glass plates to one another.