Q-PAC®: The Art of Engineering
Revolutionary Drip Point Technology
Q-PAC's patented three-layer construction creates 11,000 drip points per cubic foot — a density impossible in single-piece molded packings. These drip points fill three-dimensional space with fine droplets, presenting their entire surface area to the gas phase while maintaining the lowest pressure drop of any high-efficiency packing. The result: smaller towers, reduced equipment, and operating cost savings that continue for the life of the installation.
Three-Layer Stacked Construction
Q-PAC is not molded in one piece. Each packing element consists of three stacked needle-grid layers, with each layer contributing its population of drip points to the total. This construction — protected by foundational patents from Lantec's founder — creates geometry that injection molding cannot replicate.
The distinction matters for performance. Single-piece packings spread liquid over extended surfaces; Q-PAC breaks liquid streams into torrential rain. Each droplet presents its entire surface to the gas phase. Total contact area per cubic foot exceeds conventional packings by a factor of two or more.
How Drip Points Create Mass Transfer
Traditional packings like saddles or Pall rings spread liquid over two-dimensional plastic surfaces. The liquid film facing the packing itself doesn't participate in mass transfer — only the exposed surface contacts the gas.
Q-PAC's flow-through structure of thin grids and rods provides drip points that break streams of water into millions of tiny droplets. These droplets fill three-dimensional space. Turbulent gas flow further breaks liquid into smaller droplets, maximizing surface area per unit volume while minimizing resistance to gas flow.
$500,000+ Capital Savings — Documented
In one municipal biosolids scrubber project, a Q-PAC design came in $500,000 below competing bids using conventional packing (Case History 53). The mechanism was straightforward: Q-PAC's efficiency enabled a 12-foot diameter tower instead of 16 feet, with proportionally smaller pumps, blowers, and mist eliminators. After years of operation, the system consistently achieved non-detectable outlet concentrations.
Similar capital savings — 35–40% reductions in tower cost — appear across documented installations (Case History 54). When you can operate at twice conventional packing velocities, equipment sizing changes fundamentally.
Worldwide Proven Performance
Q-PAC installations span municipal odor control, industrial VOC scrubbing, pulp and paper emissions, groundwater air stripping, and seawater flue gas desulfurization at scales up to 8 million Nm³/h. Thousands of installations across six continents.
Key Benefits
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96.3% void fraction — Highest of any commercial packing, enabling dramatically lower pressure drop
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11,000 drip points per cubic foot — Three-layer construction creates surface density impossible in single-piece molding
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30–50% higher capacity — Operates at twice conventional packing velocities (600+ ft/min vs. 350 ft/min)
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$500,000+ capital savings documented — Smaller towers, pumps, blowers, and mist eliminators
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Self-cleaning geometry — Uniform bar-and-rod spacing eliminates dry spots and resists fouling
Performance Data & Literature
- Q-PAC Brochure (PDF)
- 16-Page Q-PAC Data (PDF)
- Pressure Drop Curves — Metric (PDF)
- Pressure Drop Comparisons — Metric (PDF)
- DataA: Designing with Q-PAC (PDF)
- DataB: Acid Gas Scrubbing (PDF)
- DataC: Flooding Curve (PDF)
- DataD: Pressure Drop (PDF)
- DataE: Liquid Holdup (PDF)
- DataF: Packing Comparisons (PDF)
- DataH: HTU Curves (PDF)
Case Studies
- Camden Biosolids: $500K+ Capital Savings, "Zero" Outlet Emissions
- MEK Air Stripper: 35–40% Capital Reduction
- Perth Two-Stage H₂S System
- Rendering Plant: 34% Capacity Increase
- Kraft Mill: $80K/Year Power Savings
- Cheese Processing Wastewater
- Environmental Protection: Greenhouse Gas Impact
- Q-PAC for Biotowers (PDF)
- Seawater FGD Application Brief (PDF)
Technical Specifications
Q-PAC® Physical Properties
| Property | British Units | Metric Units |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3.25" × 3.75" | 83 mm × 95 mm |
| Void Fraction | 96.3% | 96.3% |
| Geometric Surface Area | 30 ft²/ft³ | 98 m²/m³ |
| Weight (polypropylene) | 2.1 lb/ft³ | 34 kg/m³ |
| Weight (PVDF) | 4.1 lb/ft³ | 66 kg/m³ |
| Piece Count | 33/ft³ | 1,165/m³ |
| Packing Factor | 7/ft | 23/m |
| Drip Points | 11,000/ft³ | 388,000/m³ |
Materials
Q-PAC is available in multiple thermoplastics:
- Polypropylene — Standard material for most applications
- PVDF/Kynar — Aggressive chemical service, elevated temperatures
- Glass-filled PP — High-temperature applications
- NSF-certified options — Available for potable water contact
Contact Lantec's technical department at 617-302-3269 for material recommendations.