Phase transfer apparatus and process

An apparatus for the transfer of organic compounds from a first liquid phase to a gaseous phase and from said gaseous phase to a second liquid phase, comprising a packed stripping column (2) having a bottom end and a top end, a housing (5) enclosing said packed stripping column (2), a shell (1) surrounding said housing (5), a means for introducing a gaseous phase from the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), a distributor (4) for distributing said liquid phase onto said packed stripping column (2) causing said liquid phase to trickle down said packed stripping column (2) counter-currently to the flow of the gaseous phase and causing the gas stream leaving said packed stripping column (2) at its top end to have a higher content of organic compounds than the gaseous phase introduced at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), and one or more ducts (9) located between said housing (5) and said shell (1) and allowing the gaseous phase leaving said packed stripping column (2) to flow downwards, said apparatus further comprising a packed scrubber (3) having a bottom end and a top end, said housing enclosing said packed scrubber (3), said shell (1) surrounding said housing, one or more ducts (26) located between said housing and said shell (1) and allowing the gaseous phase to flow downwards to the bottom end of said packed scrubber (3), a distributor (12) on top of said packed scrubber (3), causing said second liquid phase to trickle down said packed scrubber (3) counter-currently to the flow of the gaseous phase and causing the gas stream leaving said packed scrubber (3) from its top end to have a lower content of organic compounds than the gaseous phase entering the bottom end of said packed scrubber (3).