Recent developments of high-gravity (reactive) distillation in rotating packed beds

Abstract

Gravitation dictates the allowable flow phases and the achievable mass transfer rates in classic distillation columns, which are tall for that exact reason. High-gravity (HiGee) devices use a high centrifugal field to increase the interfacial area through high-speed rotating packing, resulting in a large enhancement of gas–liquid mass transfer and thus smaller equipment volumes. HiGee is an effective process intensification approach to enhance both reaction and separation efficiency. Combining reaction and distillation in a HiGee equipment (R-HiGee) is a topic that attracts significant attention. This paper summarises recent developments in HiGee (reactive) distillation technologies, including process synthesis and design, modelling and analysis of rotating packed bed systems, and equipment design. It also highlights future directions for developments in order to facilitate the systematic evaluation and application of high-gravity (reactive) distillation technologies.