Custom Engineered Distillation Solutions
SRS designs and manufactures specialty distillation columns tailored for complex, challenging, and highly specific process requirements. These columns go beyond standard designs to deliver optimal performance, efficiency, and product purity.
| Column Type | Description | Key Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Reactive Distillation | Combines reaction and separation in one column | Esterification, biodiesel, ether production |
| Azeotropic Distillation | Uses entrainer to break azeotropes | Ethanol dehydration, solvent recovery |
| Extractive Distillation | Uses solvent to alter relative volatility | Aromatics separation, butadiene recovery |
| Divided Wall Column (DWC) | Single column for multi-component separation | Petrochemicals, biofuels, fine chemicals |
| Vacuum Distillation | Operates under vacuum for heat-sensitive products | Edible oils, heavy hydrocarbons, polymers |
| Pressure Distillation | High-pressure operation for light components | LPG, natural gas liquids, light gases |
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Process Optimization | Custom designed for your exact feed composition and product specifications |
| Energy Efficiency | Advanced internals and heat integration for minimum energy use |
| Compact Design | Reduced footprint and lower capital investment |
| High Purity | Achieves ultra-high product purity even for challenging separations |

Divided Wall Columns (DWC) are advanced distillation systems with a vertical wall inside the column that enables the separation of three or more components in a single unit. They offer 20–45% energy savings and 25–40% lower capital costs compared to traditional multi-column setups. Ideal for petrochemical, biofuel, and fine chemical industries.

Pressure Distillation Columns operate above atmospheric pressure to increase boiling points and enhance relative volatility between components. This technology is ideal for separating low-boiling gases, light hydrocarbons, and volatile compounds. It is commonly used in petrochemical plants, natural gas processing, air separation, and LPG fractionation for higher efficiency and compact column design.

Reactive Distillation Columns combine chemical reaction and separation in a single unit. By integrating reaction and distillation simultaneously, they shift equilibrium, improve yield, reduce energy consumption, and lower capital costs. This technology is widely used in esterification, etherification, and other equilibrium-limited reactions, particularly in biodiesel, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemical production.

Vacuum Distillation Columns operate under reduced pressure (typically 10–200 mbar) to lower boiling points of components. This allows gentle separation of heat-sensitive, high-boiling, or thermally unstable materials without decomposition. It is widely used in edible oil refining, petroleum residue processing, essential oil extraction, and pharmaceutical industries for high-quality product recovery.

Azeotropic Distillation is a specialized separation technique used to break azeotropes — mixtures that cannot be separated by conventional distillation. An entrainer is added to alter the relative volatility, allowing high-purity separation of close-boiling or azeotropic components. It is widely used for dehydrating ethanol, recovering solvents like THF and IPA, and purifying fine chemicals.
Key Features & Common Applications
SRS designs and manufactures highly specialized distillation columns engineered to solve complex separation challenges that standard columns cannot efficiently handle.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Custom Engineering | Tailored design based on specific feed composition, product purity, and process conditions |
| Advanced Internals | High-efficiency structured packing, trays, or divided wall configurations |
| Energy Optimization | Heat integration, vapor recompression, and multi-effect designs |
| Material Flexibility | Stainless steel, duplex, Hastelloy, Inconel, and exotic alloys |
| Process Integration | Reactive, azeotropic, extractive, or pressure-swing capabilities in one unit |
| Industry | Applications |
|---|---|
| Biofuels | Biodiesel purification, ethanol dehydration, renewable diesel fractionation |
| Petrochemicals | BTX separation, styrene, butadiene, and aromatic recovery |
| Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals | API intermediate purification, high-purity solvent recovery |
| Edible Oils & Fats | Deodorization, decolorization, and fractionation |
| Natural Gas & LNG | NGL fractionation, LPG separation, helium and argon recovery |
SRS’s specialty columns are custom-engineered to deliver maximum efficiency, product purity, and return on investment for your specific process requirements.