OK so the story here is that I'm planning the build of a Boka still using bits and pieces I have lying around. I have a 1.8m length of 2 1/2" stainless tube and want to use that as the basis.
Now I know I need copper in the still to remove the sulphides and was planning on the condenser and packing both being copper to perform this job.
Me being a tight wad, I'm looking for alternative column packing that won't cost the earth. I have time to burn and a heap of copper offcuts and electrical cable lying around. It got me thinking, can I make my own packing? Looking at the ceramic Raschig rings available couldn't I make copper ones. As well as this I want more surface area so could I add copper coils as well.
Here is what I came up with. It is 1/2" copper tube cut into 6mm lengths and 1mm copper wire wound into copper springs about 10mm long and 5mm diameter. I placed some in a glass and shook it up to see how they settle and to me it looks good.
I plan on holding these bits in the column with stainless steel scrubbers at either end in the column and have a packing length of around 1.2m.
I would welcome your input to this, either good or bad.