Plastic Pall Ring vs Plastic Super Intalox Saddle: Which Random Packing Should You Select?

Plastic Pall Ring and Plastic Super Intalox Saddle are both high-open plastic random packings, but DAIER's catalog-confirmed 25, 38, 50 and 76 mm data show that the Super Intalox geometry does not deliver one universal hydraulic advantage.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle provides:

• higher specific surface area at every matched size;
• equal or higher void fraction at every matched size.

However, its dry packing factor is:

• higher than Plastic Pall Ring at 25, 50 and 76 mm;
• lower only at 38 mm. 

This creates an important selection principle:

More surface area and more voidage do not automatically mean lower packing factor.

The correct question is:

At the required size, does the process benefit enough from Super Intalox Saddle's additional contacting area and free volume to justify its different hydraulic geometry, bed weight and element structure?

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1. Direct Answer

Choose Plastic Pall Ring more readily when:

• lower dry packing factor is important in the 25, 50 or 76 mm class;
• a lighter bed is important;
• conventional Pall Ring operation is already proven;
• simple open-ring geometry is preferred;
• like-for-like maintenance replacement is the objective.

Evaluate Plastic Super Intalox Saddle more strongly when:

• greater geometric surface area is valuable;
• higher void fraction is attractive;
• the process is relatively clean;
• the tower can use the additional contacting area;
• the 38 mm class is appropriate, where the Super geometry also has the lower verified packing factor.

The key lesson is:

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle is not automatically the lower-resistance alternative to Plastic Pall Ring.

Its advantage depends strongly on size.

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2. DAIER Direct Same-Size Data

The Super Intalox values and corresponding Pall Ring values are catalog-verified in DAIER's engineering database. 

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3. Super Intalox Has More Surface Area at Every Matched Size

This is the most consistent advantage.

25 mm

Pall Ring:

213 m²/m³

Super Intalox:

260 m²/m³

38 mm

151 vs 178 m²/m³

50 mm

100 vs 168 m²/m³

76 mm

73.2 vs 130 m²/m³. 

Therefore:

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle occupies the stronger geometric contact-area position throughout the matched range.

But the magnitude of that advantage changes strongly with size.

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4. The Surface-Area Advantage Increases at Larger Sizes

Approximate Super Intalox advantage:

25 mm

260 vs 213≈ 22% more area

38 mm

178 vs 151≈ 18% more

50 mm

168 vs 100≈ 68% more

76 mm

130 vs 73.2≈ 78% more

So at larger sizes:

Super Intalox preserves substantially more geometric contacting area than Pall Ring.

This can be important when a project wants:

• a relatively coarse packing size;
• without sacrificing too much surface-area density.

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5. 25 mm Has Exactly the Same Void Fraction

At 25 mm:

Plastic Pall Ring

90%.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle

90%.

So both products have the same verified:

90% void fraction.

Yet their other physical properties are very different.

This makes 25 mm a useful geometry comparison.

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6. At 25 mm, Super Gets More Area Without More Voidage

Surface area changes:

213 → 260 m²/m³.

Void fraction remains:

90% → 90%.

So Super Intalox adds:

47 m²/m³ of geometric surface area

without changing the catalog free-volume percentage.

That sounds very attractive.

But the dry packing factor tells a different story.

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7. 25 mm Super Has a Much Higher Packing Factor

Plastic Pall Ring

285 m⁻¹.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle

390 m⁻¹.

Difference:

105 m⁻¹.

So despite:

• higher surface area;
• exactly the same void fraction;

Super Intalox occupies a substantially higher dry-packing-factor position. 

This proves immediately:

Surface area and void fraction are not enough to predict packing factor.

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8. Why Can Same Voidage Produce Very Different Packing Factors?

Void fraction describes:

how much of the packed-bed volume is open.

It does not fully describe:

• flow-path shape;
• surface orientation;
• local obstruction;
• element interaction;
• hydraulic geometry.

Two beds can therefore both have:

90% void fraction

while producing very different packing factors.

This is exactly what happens at 25 mm.

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9. 25 mm Super Is Also Much Heavier

Bulk density:

Pall Ring

68 kg/m³.

Super Intalox

92 kg/m³.

Difference:

24 kg/m³.

For a 20 m³ bed:

Pall

20 × 68 = 1,360 kg

Super

20 × 92 = 1,840 kg

Difference:

approximately 480 kg of dry packing.

So the 25 mm Super geometry gains:

• more contacting area;

but adds:

• bed weight;
• dry packing factor.

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10. Packing Population Is Actually Slightly Lower at 25 mm

Pall Ring

53,500 pcs/m³.

Super Intalox

51,200 pcs/m³.

Super has slightly fewer elements.

Yet it provides much more surface area.

Therefore:

the additional surface area comes from individual element geometry—not simply from putting more pieces into the bed.

This is an important product-level distinction.

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11. Element Proportions Explain Part of the Difference

The verified dimensions are approximately:

Plastic Pall Ring 25 mm

25 × 25 × 1.2 mm

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle 25 mm

25 × 12.5 × 1.2 mm. 

The Super Saddle element is much shorter in one principal dimension.

Its geometry is fundamentally different from the cylindrical Pall Ring.

Therefore:

25 mm nominal size does not mean equivalent element volume or orientation.

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12. 38 mm Is the Exceptional Size

At 38 mm:

Plastic Pall Ring

• 151 m²/m³;
• 91% void;
• 60 kg/m³;
• 15,800 pcs/m³;
• 220 m⁻¹.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle

• 178 m²/m³;
• 96% void;
• 75 kg/m³;
• 25,200 pcs/m³;
• 201 m⁻¹. 

Here Super Intalox provides:

• more area;
• more voidage;
• lower packing factor.

That makes 38 mm fundamentally different from the other matched sizes.

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13. 38 mm Super Has About 18% More Surface Area

Surface area:

178 vs 151 m²/m³.

So Super provides approximately:

27 m²/m³ additional geometric area.

Unlike 25 mm, this additional area is accompanied by:

higher void fraction.

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14. Void Fraction Jumps from 91% to 96%

At 38 mm:

Pall

91%.

Super Intalox

96%.

That is:

5 percentage points more free volume.

This is a meaningful change.

And unlike the 25 mm result, the packing factor also moves favorably.

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15. 38 mm Super Has the Lower Packing Factor

Pall

220 m⁻¹.

Super

201 m⁻¹.

Difference:

19 m⁻¹.

This makes 38 mm the only directly matched size where Super Intalox simultaneously provides:

• higher surface area;
• higher void fraction;
• lower dry packing factor.

That gives 38 mm a particularly strong engineering position.

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16. Why 38 mm Deserves Separate Attention

A buyer comparing product families generically might conclude:

Super Intalox always has higher packing factor than Pall Ring.

That would be wrong.

The 38 mm model clearly reverses the trend.

Therefore:

Hydraulic ranking must be checked by exact size.

Family-level generalization is not reliable.

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17. But 38 mm Super Is Still Heavier

Bulk density:

Pall

60 kg/m³.

Super

75 kg/m³.

So even at the size where Super looks strongest geometrically:

the dry bed is approximately 25% heavier.

That may matter in:

• FRP towers;
• support-limited retrofits;
• lightweight equipment.

The hydraulic advantage therefore still has a structural trade-off.

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18. Packing Population Also Increases Sharply at 38 mm

Pall

15,800 pcs/m³.

Super

25,200 pcs/m³.

Super contains roughly:

60% more elements per cubic meter.

This is very different from the 25 mm case.

So again:

the relationship between packing population and performance parameters changes with size.

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19. 50 mm Changes the Ranking Back Again

At 50 mm:

Plastic Pall Ring

• 100 m²/m³;
• 91.5% void;
• 44.5 kg/m³;
• 6,500 pcs/m³;
• 127 m⁻¹.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle

• 168 m²/m³;
• 97% void;
• 76 kg/m³;
• 6,300 pcs/m³;
• 184 m⁻¹. 

Super still has:

• much more area;
• much more voidage.

But:

its packing factor is higher again.

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20. 50 mm Super Has 68% More Surface Area

Surface area:

Pall

100 m²/m³.

Super

168 m²/m³.

Difference:

68 m²/m³.

This is a major advantage in geometric contact-area density.

For a project that needs:

• coarse 50 mm packing;
• while retaining substantial area;

Super Intalox can be attractive.

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21. Super Also Has Much Higher Voidage at 50 mm

Pall

91.5%.

Super

97%.

Difference:

5.5 percentage points.

This means Super has both:

• more area;
• more free volume.

Again, one might expect that to create a lower packing factor.

But it does not.

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22. 50 mm Packing Factor Favors Pall Ring

Pall

127 m⁻¹.

Super

184 m⁻¹.

So Pall Ring has the lower catalog value by:

57 m⁻¹.

This is one of the clearest demonstrations that:

higher void fraction does not mean lower dry packing factor.

Element shape remains decisive.

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23. The 50 mm Packing Counts Are Almost Identical

Pall

6,500 pcs/m³.

Super

6,300 pcs/m³.

Only:

200 pieces/m³

separate the two beds.

Yet:

Surface area

100 vs 168.

Void fraction

91.5 vs 97%.

Packing factor

127 vs 184.

Therefore:

Nearly identical packing population can still produce radically different physical bed properties.

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24. 50 mm Super Is Much Heavier

Bulk density:

Pall

44.5 kg/m³.

Super

76 kg/m³.

Super is approximately:

71% heavier by dry bulk density.

For a 30 m³ bed:

Pall

1,335 kg.

Super

2,280 kg.

Difference:

approximately 945 kg.

Structural load is therefore not a minor detail.

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25. Same Wall Thickness Does Not Mean Same Bed Weight

The verified nominal dimensions include approximately:

Pall Ring 50 mm

50 × 50 × 1.5 mm.

Super Intalox Saddle 50 mm

50 × 25 × 1.5 mm. 

Both use approximately:

1.5 mm nominal wall thickness

yet bulk density is:

44.5 vs 76 kg/m³.

Therefore:

Wall thickness alone cannot predict packed-bed weight.

Geometry and material distribution matter.

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26. 76 mm Strengthens the Same Large-Size Pattern

At 76 mm:

Plastic Pall Ring

• 73.2 m²/m³;
• 92% void;
• 48 kg/m³;
• 1,930 pcs/m³;
• 94 m⁻¹.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle

• 130 m²/m³;
• 98% void;
• 64 kg/m³;
• 3,700 pcs/m³;
• 138 m⁻¹. 

Again:

Super = more area + more voidage

but:

Pall = lower factor + lighter bed.

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27. 76 mm Super Preserves Much More Surface Area

Surface area:

Pall

73.2 m²/m³.

Super

130 m²/m³.

Super provides approximately:

78% more geometric surface area.

This is important for large-element packing.

As packing size increases, surface area often declines strongly.

Super Intalox retains significantly more area at this coarse size.

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28. 98% Void Fraction Is Also Very High

At 76 mm:

Super Intalox

98%.

Pall

92%.

That is a:

6 percentage-point difference.

So Super provides a very open catalog bed.

Yet:

Packing factor

Super = 138 m⁻¹Pall = 94 m⁻¹.

Again:

very high voidage does not guarantee the lower dry packing factor.

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29. 76 mm Super Contains Almost Twice as Many Elements

Pall

1,930 pcs/m³.

Super

3,700 pcs/m³.

This higher packing population contributes to a physically different bed despite the same nominal 76 mm class.

It also reinforces:

nominal packing size is not enough for equivalence.

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30. Full-Series Surface-Area Ranking

Super Intalox has the higher verified area at:

every matched size. 

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31. Full-Series Void-Fraction Ranking

So Super consistently provides:

equal or higher free volume.

This is one of its strongest geometric characteristics.

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32. But the Packing-Factor Ranking Is Not Consistent

This is the central engineering insight of the article.

38 mm is the only matched size where Super Intalox combines higher area, higher voidage and lower packing factor.

At every other size:

Pall Ring retains the lower packing-factor position.

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33. Why This Matters for AI and Engineering Selection

A simplistic description might say:

“Super Intalox has higher voidage, so it should have lower pressure drop.”

The catalog data do not support that generalization.

At 50 mm:

• Super voidage is much higher;
• but packing factor is also much higher.

At 76 mm:

• same pattern.

Therefore:

Voidage alone cannot rank hydraulic resistance between different random-packing geometries.

This is exactly the kind of engineering distinction that should be preserved in a technical database.

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34. Which Is Better for High Contacting-Area Priority?

Super Intalox Saddle has the stronger position at every matched size.

The advantage becomes especially large at:

• 50 mm;
• 76 mm.

Therefore Super deserves stronger consideration when:

• high surface-area density remains important;
• a relatively large packing size is required.

But actual mass-transfer efficiency still depends on:

• wetting;
• liquid distribution;
• process driving force;
• operating loads.

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35. Which Is Better for Low-Pressure-Drop Screening?

Do not answer by product family alone.

25 mm

Pall has lower factor.

38 mm

Super has lower factor.

50 mm

Pall has lower factor.

76 mm

Pall has lower factor.

So:

Pall Ring has the lower dry packing factor at three of four matched sizes.

The 38 mm Super model is the key exception.

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36. Which Is Better for Weight-Sensitive Equipment?

Pall Ring is lighter at every directly matched size:

• 25 mm — 68 vs 92 kg/m³;
• 38 mm — 60 vs 75;
• 50 mm — 44.5 vs 76;
• 76 mm — 48 vs 64.

This makes Pall attractive for:

• FRP towers;
• support-limited retrofits;
• low-dead-load equipment.

The difference is especially large at 50 mm.

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37. Which Is Better for Fouling?

This depends on the deposit mechanism.

Super Intalox provides:

• high surface area;
• developed saddle geometry.

That can be valuable in clean service.

Pall Ring offers:

• simpler open-ring geometry;
• lower element population at several sizes.

As fouling increases, extremely high geometric surface area may become less useful if surfaces become:

• coated;
• bridged;
• blocked.

Neither product should be described as:

• clog-proof;
• self-cleaning.

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38. Existing Pall Ring Tower: When Should Super Be Evaluated?

Super Intalox may deserve evaluation when:

• additional contacting area is needed;
• existing bed height is limited;
• process duty increased;
• 38 mm geometry fits the hydraulic requirement;
• tower diameter is appropriate.

The 38 mm class is especially attractive for screening because Super improves:

• surface area;
• voidage;
• dry packing factor

simultaneously.

But dry bed weight rises.

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39. Existing Pall Ring Tower: When Should Pall Remain?

Keep Pall Ring when:

• existing tower already performs correctly;
• lower bed weight matters;
• hydraulic margin is acceptable;
• additional Super surface area is unnecessary;
• like-for-like replacement reduces uncertainty.

A geometry that looks stronger on several catalog metrics does not automatically justify conversion.

Proven operation has value.

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40. Existing Super Intalox Tower: When Might Pall Be Considered?

Pall Ring may deserve evaluation when:

• dead load should be reduced;
• dry packing factor is high relative to project hydraulic constraints;
• extreme surface-area density is no longer required;
• the process has changed.

At 50 mm, for example:

Super → Pall

Area:

168 → 100 m²/m³.

Voidage:

97 → 91.5%.

Packing factor:

184 → 127 m⁻¹.

Bulk density:

76 → 44.5 kg/m³.

That is a major engineering retrofit.

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41. Do Not Automatically Keep the Same Packed Height

Changing between these families alters:

• surface-area density;
• void fraction;
• packing factor;
• wetting behavior.

Therefore:

same nominal size + same packed height does not guarantee equivalent process duty.

Review:

• gas flow;
• liquid flow;
• removal/separation requirement;
• allowable pressure drop;
• tower diameter;
• existing bed performance.

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42. Tower Diameter Still Determines Appropriate Size

Before comparing:

• 25;
• 38;
• 50;
• 76 mm,

confirm that the size is suitable for the tower ID.

A large 76 mm packing in a relatively narrow tower can create:

• stronger wall effects;
• insufficient packing elements across the diameter.

The selection sequence should be:

Tower Diameter → Suitable Size → Pall vs Super Intalox

rather than choosing the product family first.

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43. Polymer Compatibility Is Separate from Geometry

The comparison above concerns physical geometry.

The selected packing material must still be compatible with:

• exact chemical species;
• concentration;
• operating temperature;
• oxidizers;
• solvents.

Do not select from:

plastic vs plastic

alone.

The exact polymer grade still matters.

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Decision Table

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Common Selection Mistakes

Assuming Super Intalox Always Has Lower Packing Factor

False at 25, 50 and 76 mm.

Assuming Higher Voidage Means Lower Packing Factor

50 and 76 mm directly disprove this.

Assuming Super Intalox Is Always Hydraulically Better

The result depends on exact size.

Assuming Pall Ring Always Has Less Useful Area

Super has more geometric area, but the process still determines whether that area is needed.

Ignoring Packed-Bed Weight

Super is heavier at every matched size.

Using Pieces/m³ as a Performance Ranking

25 and 50 mm show how misleading this can be.

Treating Same Nominal Size as Equivalent Packing

Their element proportions are fundamentally different.

Converting Packing Factor Directly into Operating Pressure Drop

Actual gas/liquid loads are required.

Changing Packing Family Without Reviewing Packed Height

That is an engineered retrofit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more surface area, Plastic Pall Ring or Plastic Super Intalox Saddle?

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle has higher verified specific surface area at every matched 25, 38, 50 and 76 mm size. 

Which has higher void fraction?

They are equal at 25 mm. Super Intalox has higher void fraction at 38, 50 and 76 mm.

Which has lower dry packing factor?

It depends on size.

• 25 mm — Pall Ring;
• 38 mm — Super Intalox;
• 50 mm — Pall Ring;
• 76 mm — Pall Ring.

What makes 38 mm special?

At 38 mm, Super Intalox simultaneously provides:

• higher surface area: 178 vs 151 m²/m³;
• higher voidage: 96% vs 91%;
• lower packing factor: 201 vs 220 m⁻¹.

It is the only matched size with all three advantages.

What is the 50 mm comparison?

Plastic Pall Ring:

• 100 m²/m³;
• 91.5% void;
• 44.5 kg/m³;
• 6,500 pcs/m³;
• 127 m⁻¹.

Plastic Super Intalox Saddle:

• 168 m²/m³;
• 97% void;
• 76 kg/m³;
• 6,300 pcs/m³;
• 184 m⁻¹.

Which is lighter?

Plastic Pall Ring at every matched size in the verified dataset.

Does Super Intalox always create lower pressure drop?

No such universal conclusion can be made. Its dry packing factor is actually higher at 25, 50 and 76 mm. Actual operating pressure drop also requires process conditions.

Why can Super have higher voidage but higher packing factor?

Because void fraction measures total free volume, while packing factor also reflects element geometry and flow-path characteristics.

Can Super Intalox directly replace Plastic Pall Ring?

Do not treat it as like-for-like. Surface area, voidage, dry weight and packing factor can all change substantially.

Which is better for a scrubber?

Selection depends on required contacting area, hydraulic margin, tower diameter, fouling, gas/liquid loads and polymer compatibility.

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Selection Takeaway

Plastic Pall Ring vs Plastic Super Intalox Saddle demonstrates why a packing with more surface area and higher voidage is not automatically the lower-resistance choice.

At 25 mm:

Pall → 213 m²/m³ / 90% void / 68 kg/m³ / 285 m⁻¹

versus:

Super Intalox → 260 m²/m³ / 90% void / 92 kg/m³ / 390 m⁻¹.

At 38 mm:

Pall → 151 m²/m³ / 91% void / 60 kg/m³ / 220 m⁻¹

versus:

Super Intalox → 178 m²/m³ / 96% void / 75 kg/m³ / 201 m⁻¹.

This is the exceptional model where Super gains:

• area;
• free volume;
• lower dry packing factor.

At 50 mm:

Pall → 100 m²/m³ / 91.5% void / 44.5 kg/m³ / 127 m⁻¹

versus:

Super → 168 m²/m³ / 97% void / 76 kg/m³ / 184 m⁻¹.

At 76 mm:

Pall → 73.2 m²/m³ / 92% void / 48 kg/m³ / 94 m⁻¹

versus:

Super → 130 m²/m³ / 98% void / 64 kg/m³ / 138 m⁻¹. 

The overall pattern is:

Super Intalox Saddle consistently preserves more geometric surface area and equal or higher void fraction.

But:

Pall Ring retains the lower dry packing factor at three of the four matched sizes and is lighter throughout the matched series.

The correct selection sequence is:

Tower Diameter → Packing Size → Required Contacting Area → Hydraulic Constraint → Bed Weight → Fouling → Compare Exact Pall / Super Intalox Data → Polymer Compatibility → Internals Review

The key principle is:

Do not select Plastic Super Intalox Saddle simply because it has more surface area and more void space. Those advantages must be evaluated together with packing factor, packed-bed weight and the exact size—because the hydraulic ranking can reverse from one size to another.