News & Insights

Introduction Modern chemical manufacturing and specialty ester production are defined by one core requirement: purity. Achieving top-quality products with outstanding purity, color, and odor levels while minimizing waste and energy use is a hallmark of advanced process design. Sulzer has responded with industry-leading solutions that integrate reactive distillation (RD), divided wall columns, and membrane separation, setting a new standard for process intensification and down

Introduction: the chemical industry’s shift to continuous processes For decades, many chemical reactions - including esterification, hydrolysis, and acetalization were predominantly performed in batch reactors. This approach, while flexible, limits productivity, impacts product quality, and often incurs high energy and maintenance costs. Today, reactive distillation (RD) emerges as a superior alternative by combining reaction and separation in one integrated continuous proces

Introduction When it comes to maximizing both reaction and separation in a single column, Sulzer’s Katapakstructured catalytic packing is the industry benchmark. Developed specifically for reactive distillation, Katapak™ enables manufacturers to achieve high efficiency, precise selectivity, and reliable long-term performance - even under challenging industrial conditions. But what makes Katapak™ fundamentally superior, and how does it deliver these results? What is Katapak™ a

Introduction Esterification and hydrolysis are cornerstone reactions in the chemical and specialty esters industries. Traditionally, these reactions require multi-step batch processes first carrying out the reaction, then separating the products using energy-intensive distillation. This not only increases operational complexity and waste but also limits product purity and selectivity. Sulzer’s reactive distillation technology, however, redefines industry standards by combinin

Introduction: a new era of chemical engineering Process intensification is reshaping the chemical process industry driven by climate goals, space constraints, cost pressures, and the mounting demand for higher product quality. One of the most effective tools in this revolution is reactive distillation: a technology that elegantly unites chemical reactions and high-efficiency separation in a single step. Sulzer, a leader in mass transfer and separation technologies, is pioneer