Structured packing can be used in acrylic acid purification and dehydration towers because it provides efficient mass transfer with relatively low pressure drop under vacuum. The main application-specific challenge is polymerization: inhibitor-containing liquid must be distributed effectively across the packing, stagnant pockets should be minimized, and packing geometry should retain sufficient hydraulic openness for the expected fouling risk. Acrylic acid towers may also use hybrid arrangements combining packing, trays and quench sections rather than one internal technology throughout the vessel.

Structured packing can be used in ethylene dichloride heavy-end purification columns in VCM plants to recover clean EDC while concentrating less volatile impurities into a smaller purge stream. Low packing pressure drop is particularly valuable in vacuum and vapor-recompression designs because it helps control bottom temperature and energy demand. Packing selection should also consider heavy-end fouling, reboiler condition, water and HCl content, liquid distribution and the actual EDC recovery target rather than simply maximizing theoretical-stage efficiency.

Structured packing can be used in PTA acetic acid dehydration towers to recover valuable acetic acid while removing reaction water from the solvent loop. The separation may involve heterogeneous azeotropic distillation with an entrainer, condenser and decanter, making reflux composition and liquid distribution important to packing performance. PTA service can also require specialty metallurgy because acetic acid, bromide-containing catalyst species and temperature may create severe corrosion conditions. Packing selection should therefore consider solvent recovery, entrainer balance, hydraulic capacity, pressure drop and approved materials as one integrated system.

Structured packing is widely used in ethylbenzene/styrene splitters because the separation combines low relative volatility, high reflux, deep vacuum and styrene polymerization risk. Low packing pressure drop helps maintain low bottom temperature, while reduced liquid holdup limits hot styrene residence time. Packing selection should balance stage efficiency, hydraulic capacity, reflux distribution, polymer fouling and the performance limits of the vacuum, reboiler and condenser systems rather than choosing the highest specific surface area by default.

Structured packing can be highly effective in Sulfolane solvent recovery columns used in benzene and toluene aromatics-recovery units. Vacuum operation helps limit sulfolane temperature, making total column pressure drop important because excessive resistance increases bottom pressure and thermal stress on the recycled solvent. Packing selection should consider solvent degradation, steam stripping, liquid distribution, sulfolane carryover, lean-solvent quality and the capacity of the reboiler and vacuum system rather than separation efficiency alone.