Ceramic Saddles

High-Performance Ceramic Saddles for Heat Transfer Applications

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Ceramic saddles are a high-performance ceramic heat transfer media used in regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), regenerative catalytic oxidizers (RCO), scrubbers, and environmental heat transfer systems. Their engineered geometry provides high surface area, efficient airflow distribution, low pressure drop and and excellent thermal durability for demanding heat recovery operations. Ceramic saddles provide reliable, cost-effective service to destroy volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) to enable facilities to achieve mandated environmental standards.

Knight Materials manufacturers ceramic saddle media engineered to withstand repeated thermal cycling, corrosive process conditions and long operating lifecycles in environmental compliance systems worldwide.

What Are Ceramic Saddles?

Ceramic saddles are saddle-shaped ceramic heat transfer media loaded into RTO heat exchange chambers to absorb and release thermal energy between alternating air streams. In regenerative thermal oxidizer systems, packed beds of ceramic saddle media serve as the heat exchange core. In this capacity, the saddle media absorbs thermal energy from outgoing treated exhaust and releases it back into incoming process airstreams, achieving heat recovery efficiencies that dramatically reduce system fuel demand.

The random packing structure of a ceramic saddle bed creates a uniformly distributed, high-surface-area matrix throughout the chamber depth. Each saddle orients independently as the bed is loaded, generating consistent airflow paths and thorough surface contact that drive efficient heat exchange between gas streams across every level of the packed bed.

The curved saddle profile prevents channeling. Channeling occurs when airflow finds preferential paths and bypasses portions of the bed, degrading heat transfer efficiency. By continuously redirecting flow laterally, the saddle geometry improves distribution across the full cross-section of the heat exchange chamber, maintaining consistent thermal performance throughout the service life of the media bed.

Why Choose Knight Materials for Ceramic Saddles

Made in the USA: Knight Materials manufactures ceramic saddle media in Canton, Ohio, providing customers with domestically manufactured heat transfer media backed by reliable U.S. production and supply
Inventory availability: broad stock of ceramic saddle media across all standard sizes for fast project fulfillment and emergency bed replacement
Three varieties of ceramic saddle types including standard, LPD and GR saddles
Fast shipping and reliable sourcing to support both new system builds and replacement media projects
Technical expertise in media selection, bed design, and heat transfer performance specification
Industry partnerships with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and environmental system suppliers

Key Features & Benefits of Ceramic Saddles

High Chemical Resistance

Resistant to acids, alkalis, and solvents
Ideal for corrosive RTO process environments

Thermal Stability

Maintains structural integrity through repeated thermal cycling
Performs reliably across a wide range of operating temperatures

High Surface Area & Efficiency

Maximizes thermal contact surface area for efficient heat exchange between alternating air streams
Improves heat recovery efficiency per unit of chamber depth, reducing supplemental fuel demand

Low Pressure Drop

Higher void fraction than Raschig ring delivers lower system pressure drop and more efficient airflow distribution through the heat exchange chamber

Ceramic saddles offer high resistance to chemical attack and thermal shock while improving capacity and efficiency.

Size Selection Guidance

Smaller sizes → higher surface area, higher efficiency

Larger sizes → lower pressure drop, better suited for high flow applications

Application-based recommendations: Knight’s technical team can assist with size selection based on your specific system requirements

Request a Quote/Contact

Ready to specify ceramic saddles for your RTO or environmental heat transfer application? Knight Material Technologies provides fast quotes, technical guidance, and reliable delivery across all standard ceramic saddle sizes and configurations. Contact our team today.

LPD® (Low Pressure Drop) LPD® ceramic saddles are the preferred choice over standard FLEXISADDLE® when an application is more sensitive to pressure drop, energy consumption, or gas distribution uniformity. Their high open area and aerodynamic geometry deliver 20% lower pressure drop and up to 40% reduced particulate retention, making them well-suited for systems pushing higher flowrates, facilities looking to reduce fan energy costs, or retrofits where blower capacity, vessel diameter, or stack limits are already constrained.

GR (Glazed Resistant) LPD® saddles are engineered for RTO applications where process gases produce intense alkali attack that degrades standard ceramic media over time. The glazed formulation delivers outstanding strength retention through repeated thermal shock cycling while maintaining the LPD ceramic saddle geometry’s 20% pressure drop advantage. For facilities dealing with aggressive alkali conditions, GR saddles offer extended service life, reduced bed replacement frequency, and a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the system.

FLEXISADDLE® is the standard ceramic saddle and the most widely used random heat transfer media on the market. Its uniquely engineered geometry delivers high effective surface area and low airflow resistance, making it a reliable, high-value choice for standard RTO heat exchange applications across a wide range of installation sizes and operating conditions. When pressure drop and flow constraints are not a concern, its higher bulk density also delivers excellent bed stability and thermal inertia throughout the service life of the bed.

HPC (High Porosity Catalytic) a catalyst coating or catalytic material is applied to the ceramic surface for use in an RCO.

FLEXISADDLE® Ceramic Random Packing

SIZE	CRUSH STRENGTH	PIECE COUNT	PACKING DENSITY	VOID SPACE	ALUMINA (AL203)
0.75 in	153 lbs 69 kg	4,900 pcs/ft3 172,970 pcs/m3	44 lbs/ft3 705 kg/m3	69%	28%
1 in	211 lbs 95 kg	2,100 pcs/ft³ 74,100 pcs/m³	42 lbs/ft³ 673 kg/m³	70%	28%
1.5 in	200 lbs 90 kg	575 pcs/ft³ 20,300 pcs/m³	39 lbs/ft³ 625 kg/m³	74%	28%
2 in	200 lbs 90 kg	320 pcs/ft³ 11,700 pcs/m³	34 lbs/ft³ 545 kg/m³	76%	28%
3 in	1087 lbs 487 kg	59 pcs/ft³ 2,080 pcs/m³	33 lbs/ft³ 529 kg/m³	77%	28%

LPD® (Low Pressure Drop) Ceramic Random Packing

SIZE	CRUSH STRENGTH	PIECE COUNT	PACKING DENSITY	VOID SPACE	ALUMINA (AL203)
1 in	290 lbs 132 kg	1,350 pcs/ft³ 47,700 pcs/m³	40 lbs/ft³ 641 kg/m³	71%	28%
1.5 in	300 lbs 136 kg	60 pcs/ft³ 16,300 pcs/m³	37.5 lbs/ft³ 600 kg/m³	75%	28%

GR (Glazed Resistant) LPD® ceramic random packing

SIZE	CRUSH STRENGTH	PIECE COUNT	PACKING DENSITY	VOID SPACE	ALUMINA (AL203)
1 in	300 psi 2.1MPa	1,350 pcs/ft³ 47,700 pcs/m³	40 pcs/ft³ 641 kg/m³	71%	67%

Common sizes range from small lab-scale media (19 mm/.75 inches) to large industrial sizes (76 mm/3 inches).

FAQ

What are ceramic saddles used for?

Ceramic saddles are used as heat transfer media in regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and regenerative catalytic oxidizers (RCO), where packed beds of saddle media absorb thermal energy from treated exhaust streams and release it back into incoming process air. This heat recovery cycle reduces supplemental fuel demand while maintaining the combustion temperatures required to destroy volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) to EPA compliance standards.

What industries use ceramic saddle packing?

Ceramic saddle media is used in industries operating under EPA air quality mandates that requires regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) for VOC and HAP destruction. Ceramic saddle media serves as the heat exchange core of the RTO, enabling high thermal recovery efficiency while minimizing operating fuel costs over the life of the compliance system.

What size ceramic saddles should I use?

For RTO applications, size selection is primarily driven by pressure drop tolerance and fan energy costs. While ceramic saddle size matters, saddle type does as well. Knight Material Technologies offers three types of ceramic saddles including FLEXISADDLE® Ceramic Random Packing or a classic saddle design; LPD(R) ceramic random packing and GR (Glazed Resistant) LPD(R) ceramic random packing with a chemically resistant glaze for demanding environments.