Koch-Glitsch mass transfer tower internals and distillation trays

Koch-Glitsch tower internals and mass transfer equipment: FLEXITRAY valves, FLEXIPAC structured packings, DEMISTER-PLUS mist pads, and liquid distribution units.

Koch-Glitsch: Global Leader in Mass Transfer and Phase Separation Technologies

Koch-Glitsch within Koch Industries combines the engineering legacy of Glitsch and Koch Engineering. The enterprise designs and manufactures high-performance tower internals, cross-flow trays, structured packings, mist eliminators, and separators for refining.

Global engineering authority in industrial fractionation and separation
Portfolio consolidating technologies of Glitsch, Koch, Otto York, and Montz
Mass transfer equipment for columns spanning diameters from 0.3 to 14+ meters
Research centers and manufacturing facilities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia

High-Performance and Valve Mass Transfer Trays: FLEXITRAY and SUPERFRAC

The Koch-Glitsch tray portfolio encompasses field-proven FLEXITRAY and FLEXIPRO valve trays, MINIVALVE and PROVALVE devices, and proprietary SUPERFRAC, ULTRA-FRAC, and SUPERFLUX high-capacity trays designed to debottleneck distillation towers.

FLEXITRAY valve assemblies providing turndown ratios up to 4:1 without weeping
High-density MINIVALVE and PROVALVE units reducing tray pressure drop and froth
SUPERFRAC cross-flow trays delivering 15% to 30% capacity expansion in columns
Fabrication in specialized metallurgy including AISI 304L, 316L, 904L, Monel, Titanium

Structured Packing FLEXIPAC and Random Elements INTALOX ULTRA

For fractionation services demanding low pressure drop and high efficiency, Koch-Glitsch manufactures corrugated metal FLEXIPAC and FLEXIPAC HC packings, wire gauze Montz-Pak Type A3 for vacuum distillation, and high-performance INTALOX ULTRA random packing rings.

FLEXIPAC structured packings engineered with corrugated geometry minimizing HETP
FLEXIPAC HC high-capacity variant featuring smooth crimp transitions
Montz-Pak Type A3 woven wire gauze packing optimized for vacuum pharmaceutical separation
INTALOX ULTRA random packing rings offering high open area and throughput

Mist Eliminators DEMISTER-PLUS and Vane Separators FLEXICHEVRON

Koch-Glitsch mist elimination technologies capture entrained droplets from vapor streams with efficiencies up to 99.9%. The portfolio includes wire mesh DEMISTER pads, composite DEMISTER-PLUS systems, FLEXICHEVRON vane blades, and VORSOMAX cyclonic devices.

DEMISTER knitted mesh pads fabricated from alloy wire and polymers for fine mist separation
DEMISTER-PLUS hybrid systems coupling high-velocity pre-separators with polishing pads
FLEXICHEVRON vane profile mist eliminators engineered for high-gas-velocity services
VORSOMAX cyclonic inlet devices for rapid kinetic dissipation and uniform feed profile

Precision Liquid Distribution Systems, Packing Supports, and Bed Limiters

Packed tower performance depends upon uniform liquid distribution. Koch-Glitsch supplies precision trough and pipe liquid distribution units, redistributors, heavy-duty packing support plates Models 802, 804, 814, liquid collector trays, and bed limiters.

Gravity trough distribution units engineered with calibrated drip points and metering orifices
Pressurized pipe irrigation headers providing uniform coverage under variable flow conditions
Packing support grids Models 802 and 814 maximizing vapor open area and load bearing capacity
Bed limiters and hold-down plates preventing bed expansion during operational upsets

Tower Revamp Engineering, Dividing Wall Columns, and CFD Modeling

Koch-Glitsch engineering services encompass modernization of operating distillation and absorption columns, deployment of Dividing Wall Column (DWC) technology, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, and turnaround maintenance support.

Dividing Wall Column (DWC) technology reducing capital expenditures by up to 30%
Computational fluid dynamics simulations identifying and eliminating maldistribution
Hydraulic and mechanical rerating of column internals for revamping feed compositions
Supervisory installation, turnaround services, and fast-track valve and hardware delivery

Engineering legacy and technological convergence of Glitsch and Koch

Koch-Glitsch represents the industrial unification of two prominent American engineering pioneers: Glitsch Inc., established in Dallas in 1913, and Koch Engineering Company, founded in Wichita in 1945.

The consolidation of their specialized research assets and manufacturing infrastructures established an extensive intellectual property portfolio in fractionation, vapor-liquid contacting, and mechanical vessel internals.

Throughout subsequent decades, the organization integrated key specialized brands including Otto York, the pioneering inventor of the DEMISTER wire mesh mist eliminator, and German packing specialist Julius Montz GmbH.

Today, Koch-Glitsch delivers tailored mass transfer and phase separation equipment across the global refining, petrochemical, chemical synthesis, and gas processing sectors.

FLEXITRAY valve trays and high-density MINIVALVE contacting units

FLEXITRAY and FLEXIPRO valve trays have delivered reliable performance across thousands of industrial distillation and fractionation columns worldwide.

The movable disc and rectangular valves adjust their lift dynamically in response to vapor throughput fluctuations, preventing liquid weeping across tray active decks under low-capacity operation while maintaining wide turndown ratios reaching 4:1.

For separations requiring minimal tray hydraulic resistance and maximized mass transfer efficiency, high-density fixed and movable MINIVALVE and PROVALVE devices are deployed.

Their compact profile distributes rising vapor evenly into the cross-flowing liquid, reducing froth elevation, mitigating weeping, and deferring entrainment flooding limits.

SUPERFRAC high-capacity distillation trays for column debottlenecking

During brownfield revamps and capacity expansion programs across crude distillation and gas fractionation units, expanding throughput without shell replacement is essential.

Patented Koch-Glitsch SUPERFRAC, ULTRA-FRAC, and SUPERFLUX high-performance trays yield 15% to 30% higher operating capacity over conventional sieve or valve designs while preserving separation purity.

Engineered downcomer geometry, tapered discharge weirs, and optimized froth calming zones minimize liquid recirculation and vapor-induced droplet carryover to upper stages.

Each tray assembly is engineered to match precise hydrodynamic load envelopes utilizing corrosion-resistant austenitic stainless steels and specialty nickel alloys.

FLEXIPAC structured packings and INTALOX ULTRA random packing rings

Vacuum fractionators, acid gas treating absorbers, and close-boiling isomer separation towers rely on structured contactors exhibiting minimum pressure drop per theoretical stage.

Corrugated metallic FLEXIPAC and modern FLEXIPAC HC structured packings feature smooth geometric crimp transitions that streamline vapor paths and expand operational flooding boundaries.

For high-pressure absorption services and heavy liquid loading regimes, INTALOX ULTRA metallic random packing rings deliver elevated structural rigidity combined with high void fraction.

For deep vacuum fractional distillation of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical intermediates, Montz-Pak Type A3 woven wire gauze packing provides superior capillary wetting and mass transfer efficiency.

DEMISTER-PLUS mist eliminators and FLEXICHEVRON vane separation systems

Liquid carryover from gas separators, flash drums, and absorption scrubbing towers causes downstream rotating machinery erosion, fouling, and catalyst contamination.

Engineered DEMISTER knitted mesh mist eliminators and hybrid DEMISTER-PLUS multi-stage systems capture fine aerosol droplets down to 1 to 3 microns with collection efficiencies exceeding 99.9%.

In heavy fouling services and high gas velocity applications where solid deposition or viscous polymerization occurs, FLEXICHEVRON zig-zag vane profiles provide non-clogging separation.

To dissipate feed jet kinetic momentum and deliver initial bulk liquid knock-out, cyclonic VORSOMAX inlet devices ensure uniform gas velocity across the vessel cross-section.

Phase distribution engineering, support grids, and Dividing Wall Columns

Packed tower efficiency depends upon initial liquid distribution uniformity across the bed surface.

The Koch-Glitsch portfolio incorporates gravity trough and pressurized pipe liquid distribution assemblies providing uniform irrigation points across large column cross-sections, accompanied by rigid Model 802 and 814 support plates and bed limiters.

A transformative modernization approach for multi-component distillation is Dividing Wall Column (DWC) technology.

Integrating an internal vertical partition within a single column shell replaces traditional two-column sequences, reducing plant plot area, saving up to 30% in capital expenditure, and significantly lowering reboiler utility consumption.

Koch-Glitsch and model names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the equipment for which we source parts. SpareX is not an official dealer, distributor or representative of Koch-Glitsch and is not affiliated with the trademark owner. Origin, documents and warranty are stated for each item in the quotation.