StillSmart

Finally got around to cleaning the SPP I got from Poland, I've read that there could be oil or grease from the cutter used to chop it up as its being produced.

It looked perfectly clean to me but thought I'd best do something with it, I poured it into a large stainless pan and covered it in 3litres of 95% heads and left it for 1/2 hour




That should get rid of most of any greasy bits!

I also had to make some kind of mesh filter to hold it all in my packed section, luckily the wife didn't notice a stainless sieve going missing



I cut around one of the copper plates used to hold the bubble caps in place on the SD baby crystal dragon, so my mesh would be held in place by one of the SD silicone gaskets.




Then it was just a case of filling the CD section with the packing, once I'd rinsed it a few times of course






Now it just needs a good test run, the packed section is 520mm high with an internal diameter of 55mm, I'm not 100% sure of the HETP of 4mm SPP but I could hit AZEOTROPE with the same section filled with SS Scrubbies when it's used above 3 x 4" bubble plates.

Cool, let us know how it goes, that SPP is supposed to be the ducks nuts! When I do run neutral, which is every now and then, I have a 100mm x 620mm long section packet with lava rock/marbles above one plate. Hit 93 at a good output rate, 94 was just too slow.

From a quick google, the HETP (Height Equivelent to Theorectical Plate) is about 3cm so with 52cm of packing this should be equivelent to 17 plates, on top of my 3 real plates, I have high hopes for it.

My only worry is how fast I can run it without it flooding, if I can throw 2kw power at it and it not flood I'll be happy

2Kw through a 2" column, man, that will be flying fast!

Hi inglishill

I think the 3 x 4" bubble plates under the packed section help absorb a chunk of the power, on the last run I kept it at 1.9kw with pan scrubbers in there, I was getting just under 2 litres an hour from what I can remember.

I've tried 6mm Rachig rings in it in the past but I couldn't get above 1.4kw without it flooding, that's the beauty of having a glass packed section, you can see if it starts to flood

So all you are refluxing is off the top plate,

Nice move.

I run my 900mm BOKA fitted to a T500 boiler filled with SPP at 1500W once it's reached 78C and it hits Azeotrope every time. I always reflux at 100% for at least 15 mins before taking any product. I did suffer a couple of floods in the early runs at max power, but soon learnt better.

inglishill wrote:So all you are refluxing is off the top plate,

Nice move.

The reflux goes all the way back into the boiler flooding all 3 plates, but if the packed section floods the plates still work normally, they can handle upto around 4 - 5kw I think.

It'll be interesting to see how it runs at different power levels, half tempted to run a 10% wash through it just so I can have a play.

we will have 50cm glass sections in 2,5" for those who want to do packed sections.

They come in March.

Hi Sunshine

Will they fit straight into the baby CD end plates?

vino-tinto

Did you notice an improvement over ss scrubbers with heads seperation?

Anavrin wrote:vino-tinto

Did you notice an improvement over ss scrubbers with heads seperation?

Definitely, as I said I reflux at 100% first of all for at least 15 mins @ a vapour of 78C.
Then I take the first 1 litre off at a slow dribble and bin it.
I take the next 1 litre for making my Bourbon at a slow trickle.
I then take everything until the temp goes gets to 79 at a moderate flow, this is pure hearts.
I then take the next until it gets to 82, this I throw back into the strip for the next run, this way my strip gets purer and purer.
I might not get as much as others do, but, what I get is a very pure hearts which goes through an Essencia system after dilution.

Hi Anavrin, yes they fit to the BD ends.

Out of interest what was your supplier for this SPP? I need some for my still and would like cheap but good quality.

Hi Devon

See this topic, I got it from them

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3800&p=30680&hilit=New+Poland&sid=0938d2ebb212932fde9780e9869f0e71#p30166

It took about 16 days for delivery and no communication from them but at least it turned up