Abstract: Metal vapor-liquid contact plates disposed in face-to-face contact with respective corrugations inclined to the horizontal across an open notional plane. The metal packing is disposed within a vapor-liquid contact column for the purpose of bringing about mass and heat transfer between liquid and vapor passing in opposite directions therethrough. The body portion of each metal plate comprises metal that has been slitted to provide both surfaces thereof with a very large number of apertures with little wasted material. The metal lands defining the apertures are, moreover, twisted and angulated. The apertures in the plates also trap liquid and expose it to the vapor stream on both sides of the metal affording self-spreading of the liquid and turbulent vapor flow therethrough. In this manner, the assembly affords optimal pressure drop characteristics, surface to vapor passage area ratio, and vapor-liquid distribution characteristics.

Abstract: Tower packing elements adapted for dumped packing and employed to effect vapor-liquid contact in vapor-liquid contact columns for the purposes of bringing about mass and heat transfer between the liquid and vapor phases. Each packing element is of the saddle variety and is arcuately formed about orthogonal notional axes. The body of the saddle comprises expanded metal; that is, metal that has been perforated, lanced, and/or expanded by stretching along oppositely oriented axes. Also disclosed are methods of forming a segmented, semi-toroidal tower packing element from metal which has been expanded, as well as from metal which has been slitted, and which is expanded at the same time as it is formed into a saddle shape. In this manner, the advantages of metal in tower dump packing can be utilized in a saddle configuration maximizing vapor-liquid contact and efficiency of the mass and heat transfer.