Waldo E. de Villiers1, Jose Bravo1, and Glenn Shiveler2. (1) Westhollow Technology Center, Shell Global Solutions (US), PO Box 4327, Houston, TX 77210, (2) Applications - Gas Processing Group, Sulzer Chemtech USA, Inc., 4019 South Jackson Ave., Tulsa, OK 74107
Features found on high performance distillation trays can be applied to liquid-liquid extraction to enhance capacity and efficiency. This paper will review the characteristics of modern high performance extraction trays and highlight how these features influence performance. A case study will be presented involving the revamp of a rotating disc contactor in aromatics service with Shell HiFi(TM) Extraction trays. Issues critical to the successful revamp of low interfacial tension systems will be discussed.