Ceramic packing element

Abstract

The invention provides an improved ceramic bed limiter packing element having a uniform cross-section in the length direction with the basic shape of a bow-tie and having a plurality of through passages parallel to the length dimension.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A ceramic packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element, and first and second concave external surfaces at the ends of height and width axes respectively perpendicular to the length direction, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, and the element being provided with at least three through passages in the length direction.  
     
     
         2 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the concave surfaces are connected directly to convex surfaces.  
     
     
         3 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the width and height dimensions of the element are unequal with the ratio of width to height being from 1.25:1 to 3:1.  
     
     
         4 . An element according to  claim 2  in which the width and height dimensions of the element are in a ratio of from about 1.3:1 to 2.0:1.  
     
     
         5 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the ratio of the width to the length is from 1.5:1 to 5:1.  
     
     
         6 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the element is provided with from 3 to 275 passageways.  
     
     
         7 . An element according to  claim 5  in which the passageways are round in cross-section and the diameter of each is less than one half of the height of the element.  
     
     
         8 . An element according to  claim 5  in which the passageways have identical dimensions.  
     
     
         9 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the total cross-sectional are of the passages represents from 20 to 75% of the total cross-sectional area of the element.  
     
     
         10 . An element according to  claim 1  in which the ceramic is a porous material.