Packing elements for mass transfer applications

A ceramic packing element, comprising:

• (a) a continuous peripheral wall disposed between a first end and a second end and surrounding a passageway through said element, said peripheral wall comprising an interior surface, an exterior surface, a first end surface and a second end surface, said passageway defining a first opening in said element's first end and a second opening in said element's second end;
• (b) at least one interior wall extending radially from said peripheral wall's interior surface into said passageway, said interior wall comprising an interior surface, a first end surface and a second end surface;
• and
• (c) wherein said element has a cross sectional surface area equivalent to the surface area of said first end, said cross sectional surface area comprising an open face surface area equivalent to the area of said first opening in said first end;
• said open face surface area comprising an interaction zone and a flow through zone, wherein said interaction zone is that portion of the open face surface area within 2 mm of an interior surface of said peripheral wall or said interior wall, said interaction zone occupies between 45% and 70% of said open face surface area, and said flow through zone occupies the portion of the open face surface area not occupied by the interaction zone.